


Fernweh

by Aspendragon



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Author is not a Tolkien expert but she tries her best, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Emotional Baggage, F/M, Getting to Know Each Other, Haldir is the eldest of three, Horses, Mearas, Modern Girl in Middle Earth, OC has a character arc, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Touch-Starved, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2020-08-23 09:45:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 69,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20240809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspendragon/pseuds/Aspendragon
Summary: Fernweh (FEIRN-veyh): "An ache to get away and travel to a distant place, a feeling even stronger than wanderlust."Leigh Anne, by all means is an introvert, is fed up with her 8-5 job, paying bills and being lonely so making the impulsive decision to fly to Germany for a year caught everyone, including herself, off guard.  It started off well enough, until she accepted an invite from a new friend to stay in her parents' clock workshop on the outskirts of the Black Forest.  There Leigh Anne discovers a mysterious silver horse in the woods, experiences a flight of terror through the trees and crashes headlong into a world not her own.In Middle Earth a malicious strain of monsters is breeding in the darkest parts of the forest.  Haldir dreads the news of missing comrades and is more wary of strange non-elves than ever.  However Leigh Anne, a very strange human of a very strange land, may be of assistance for not just anyone can ride a Mearas.PART 1 | COMPLETE --- PART 2 | IN PROGRESS --- PART 3 | IN PROGRESS --- Thank you to all my readers and their kind comments!





	1. Prologue

The longest Haldir had gone without conversation was exactly nine months, six days and eight hours. He was fairly young for an elf then and so had not the long memory to fall back on to make the time pass faster and more serenely. It was in the beginning of his march-warden career and he disliked remembering it greatly for a number of reasons. For one he was new and wished to prove himself. This desire only got him into trouble and two, the experience had been harrowing.

On the edge of the woods, now much older and wiser, Haldir stood unmoving remembering one particularly long and horrible memory. He didn’t quite realize it now that he aged but he could fall into the deep well of memories for hours in a meditative state. In one hand he was tracing the curve of his bow, a handsome weapon made of silvery wood, the second hand was at his side resting against his thigh. 

If someone from the nearest village stumbled upon him while collecting mushrooms they would have paused in mid step and stared. An elf was a rare sight around these parts although the minstrels sang of their hidden city still. Spotting one would be akin to spotting a white hart and elves were beautiful besides. Haldir struck a mystifying figure indeed standing amidst the ferns staring out at the open meadow with a backdrop of dark trees behind him. The half-moon’s light burnishing his pale gold hair silver, his profile cut sharply against the landscape as his eyes drifted aimlessly over the flat grassy knoll.

A breeze upset a nearby walnut tree and a flurry of yellowing leaves fluttered over Haldir, his hair and clothes softly swaying with the wind.

He broke from his memory with a start as a loud crack split the air and he gave a near inaudible intake of air. He closed his eyes for a moment, recognising the crackling of fireworks and returned to a more attentive vigil of the meadow now bathed in colorful splashes of light. Belatedly he realized he was tapping his thigh and fingering his bow, the rest of him felt ready to spring. In a way most unbecoming of an elf if he were in the company of Men or Dwarf. Haldir gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched as he tried to curb his restlessness.

It almost didn’t work, but he managed. With a cursory glance around him he knew he was still alone although he would have heard a disturbance even so deeply immersed in his memories. Still he inwardly scolded himself, he was out on a mission not on a tedious patrol route. If his old mentor had known he was daydreaming on the job he would be given chores befitting a rookie to  _ remind him _ not to get lazy. At the thought the corners of his mouth twitched up as he remembered giving a fellow warden just that punishment recently, but Ceryl had taken it in stride. 

Despite how warm he felt even in the early autumn twilight Haldir shivered, it had been centuries since he was given menial tasks and the very thought was demeaning to him no matter what Ceryl had said. He had worked hard to be given the great amount of trust and faith of the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien he currently had, he would never fail them and would never slack even in these relatively peaceful times.

It was not in Haldir’s habits to lapse into a daydream, especially not one so long he loitered unmoving from day to dusk to night. Haldir returned his bow to his back and slipped his hair out from beneath it. The same loud crack that awakened him from his stupor came far from his right and over the treetops. Haldir spotted another small firecracker sizzling out of existence heralding the presence of a wizard. A boom shook the ground and Haldir heard the scurry of squirrels and deer darting away from the sounds and bright lights. 

Haldir, with a flash of hot annoyance in his chest, turned away from the spectacle. Elves had their holidays, but their celebrating never rose higher than their own voices loosened by wine. Those of Men and Dwarf clearly had gained a louder standard and did not fear their homes being found by outsiders or disturbing the forests around them, at least not the town of Yew with it’s makeshift walls.

Haldir had been in Yew Town earlier and found what he had been looking for, the Lord and Lady would be eager to know of his findings. Yet on his way back home he had been distracted, brought to a stop by a stray wind that brought to him the smell of mint, rosemary and a number of other wild things that grew quietly in the woods.

The scent had brought at first, unbidden, the memory of his mother. She had been of the wild blood of Mirkwood, barely (if at all) Sindarin. Haldir remembered her fondly and sorrow weighed heavily on him until he recalled the games she played with him, his brothers having been too young at the time. She would run and gave the perplexing impression she was both fleeing and chasing Haldir as his young legs tried to keep up. She wanted him to know the wilderness, but Haldir could never entice the plants to grow for him as they did for her. 

On the occasion of his parents were talked about in the city of trees the Lorien elves spoke of the fire-haired  _ elleth _ that fancied a run at random out among the mallorn, calling to Haldir’s father to give chase of which he always did. This was before he was born, apparently the wood elf from Mirkwood had mellowed after the birth of her first son.

The way Haldir remembered his father speak of her he sometimes believed his mother wasn’t just an elf, but more of a mythical tree nymph. When Haldir’s father became smitten and asked to court her she claimed he could marry her if he could find her in the depths of Mirkwood, at the time safe from giant spiders. He would tell Haldir the story, but the young elf knew there were details left out, details he understood now were not for him. 

Haldir and his brothers were not conceived in a marriage bed, but in the wild, his mother saw to that. It was a fact brought up in Haldir’s recruit days, his fidgeting and restlessness that more often embarrassed him than had been useful. Characteristics of his wood-elf mother. His brothers were steadily learning to cope with it, although Orophin had never been prone to wildness, but Rumil was still quite energetic. Young elves were expected to be overly eager to learn for they were extremely curious and had centuries of life ahead of them to do so. Haldir recalled a time his impatience had won and landed him in a pocket of pricker bushes.

He cleared his throat, even alone the memory embarrassed him and Haldir forced his mind to return to the task at hand. He forcibly refused to think of the horrible memory of his parents’ deaths. There was a distance to travel and he would do it in a fashion befitting his position, not loping gaily through the meadow as his inner urges demanded, but at a crisp sprint. From the bramble of green-yellow leaves and honeysuckle, Haldir adjusted his pack and bow. Out of deeply ingrained training he felt for his hidden assortment of knives, double checked his rations and herbs then scrutinized his surroundings once more.

Now at dusk and so far from any establishment only a lone doe, unafraid of noisy festivities, grazing on the edge of the trees glimpsed a flash of gray and silver fleeing from the trees. Cautiously she returned to her greens as Haldir was long gone.

A gust of wind brought to Haldir’s attention the coming of thunder clouds over the trees. He was not terribly far from the Celebrant he could stop to take shelter but did not cherish the thought when he was so close to Lothlorien. It had been weeks since he slept on a  _ flet,  _ too many days on foot and balancing naps on foreign branches. There were nights he missed home and there were days he  _ missed _ home.

As the storm rumbled closer he made a decision. As fast as he was the storm would be faster, he sprinted the remaining distance between him and the next cluster of trees and made for a familiar haunt. In the centuries he had served Lothlorien as messenger and agent he had made small rest stops along routes. This one, at least, was a personal favorite. Well hidden, leafy and uphill it wasn’t bad for a shelter on the ground. He had discovered the natural construction of fat tree roots forming a den early in his career. Now the tree was even bigger, the undergrowth denser and only Haldir and rabbits disturbed the spot. 

Until recently that is.

Haldir couldn’t call himself a march-warden and not recognize the track of any creature that crossed his path. He came to an abrupt halt near a young tree broken in half, a thatch of dark, oily fur clinging to the snapped stem. He looked down and saw a set of prints, but these didn’t belong to an elf or a rabbit. Simply said he did not recognize these tracks nor could he imagine what creature passed through here. Unless...

He readied his bow and put an arrow on the string as he surveyed the area further. His nocturnal vision concluded one medium-sized creature had passed through dragging something heavy. The elven word for boar was on the tip of his tongue, but he waited. What would a boar be dragging through the undergrowth? A reek of the beast’s odor stung at Haldir’s sensitive nose and he visibly grimaced. He had faced orcs and wargs, outran trolls and still it crossed his mind to leave it be, to carry on whether it rained or not. He could endure a drenching if it meant a rendezvous with the Lothlorien guards in a few hours. Yet intuition prodded him on, something was amiss in his small home-away-from-home. Once he found the tangle of roots Haldir bit back a curse.

He remained hidden by the leafy foliage, but a little of the moonlight filtered through the boughs above to catch the edges of the malformed creature too big for his tiny den. It’s body bulged out and rumbled as it slept on, unaware Haldir was so close. He remained still and hidden, he knew for sure the creature slept as it did not stir, its snoring alone could have covered any sounds a rookie warden would make. It had made a mess of his shelter having rubbed down dirt and amassed a collection of leaves, twigs and scat around it to make a nest of sorts. Haldir wrinkled his nose in disgust. What kind of creature was this?

He imagined killing it, but it was large, not as large as a bear but certainly big and its back was to him. Without a head or legs to go by if he struck at random the arrow could miss a vital spot and only serve to awaken and anger it. His experience could now smother his impatience and so he waited for the creature to move. He was rewarded half an hour later when the creature snorted and let out a squeal, Haldir frowned as the mass moved and another squeal answered back. The oily black fur bristled as another squeal then another emerged and Haldir narrowed his eyes.

The beast was  _ giving birth _ , Haldir fingered his arrow as his tongue caught between his teeth in thought. He didn’t like the idea of slaughtering a family, even an animal one, but if this creature was what he thought it was he had no choice.

A couple of minutes later the storm clouds were holding their load directly overhead and a drop escaped and landed on Haldir’s hand. He didn’t move, he was transfixed to the shelter where now five little squeals on the other side of the mass made tittering sounds perversely sounding like a squabble of giddy children. It made his skin crawl, but he still waited, intuition prodding him again to wait and see. The large mass had stopped moving, the creature’s breathing had slowed enough Haldir suspected the mother animal to have fallen asleep weary from the birthing process. But the  _ sounds _ the babies were making were incredibly unnerving.

Then the mass twitched, but not in a way it could have made on its own. There were snapping sounds, the gnashing of teeth and the coo of satisfaction. Haldir suspected what was happening and his stomach churned. He circled to the left hoping (and not hoping) to catch a glimpse.

Men and Dwarves, one sometimes more nearsighted than the other, oftentimes wished they had the incredible vision of elves. At the moment they wouldn’t for Haldir stood still more out of shock than anything else, although he wanted to shrink back and flee. But his march warden status wouldn’t let him, he now  _ had  _ to see the end of these monstrosities. He pulled from the bag over his shoulder a small packet, unwrapped it quietly to lather the foul-smelling gauze inside onto the shaft, fletch and head of the arrow. Immediately the gauze was growing hot, steam rising from the arrow. With quick precision Haldir notched the arrow and let it fly.

A fire exploded from the den amongst a chorus of unnatural screams as the rain began to pour.


	2. Where Her Story Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the story's main character is introduced to us. She also hears of a mysterious horse roaming the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended Listening for this Chapter:  
“Book of Leaves” & “Loretto” both by Rachel Grimes
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not J.R.R.Tolkien therefore I must state that this story is for fun. Haldir and The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R.Tolkien. I only own Leigh Anne and the other OCs I created for this fanfic.

[ ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPGLkn4G6KxEKB1px8k0UpeM_CmV4idWjqhqANpQxRu-fe0PBKLLAzaic8per_E3w?key=ZGQ2Q2hnWUMtckRBV1k0RlFBeVNNZXJRaWVMeFhR&source=ctrlq.org)

Bundled in a blanket with her latest read balanced on her bent knees Leigh Anne’s face split into a grin. Her long dark auburn curls fell into her face, a quick swipe put them back behind her ear. Outside the late morning sun shined and a series of cuckoo clocks chirped downstairs to mark the time. The door at the bottom of the stairs never shut properly so she could hear a soft stream of chatter of the shop’s visitors. Despite the background noise Leigh Anne wouldn’t part with her novel long enough to seek out a quieter space she was already at the last page anyway.

A soft sound left her in a low breath, the tears in her eyes came swiftly after the fingers of her free hand lingered next to her bottom lip.

“Thank God, a happy ending,” she gave a satisfied sigh as she came to the last word of the page, “they deserved it.”

Closing the paperback Leigh Anne leaned back and took a deep breath as she stretched enjoying the pull of her muscles from her neck to her toes. Because her room was right above the workshop the smell of wood and paint faintly permeated the walls and air. Leigh Anne fell back on her unmade bed and languished there a few minutes longer.

To think she had been somewhere completely different almost a year ago, it was harder to believe she would be returning to America soon. Leigh Anne frowned and tossed over onto her stomach to bury her face into her pillow, her nose filled with clean linen. Her phone chimed indicating another snooze alarm. Without looking up she clapped a hand on the device and the room was silent once more. The nightstand the phone rested on, like the clocks downstairs, was hand-carved. Late at night when she felt forlorn Leigh Anne would run her fingers along the delicate knots and bas-relief of leaping deer. It had a single drawer she kept anything of value to her.

The thought of returning to a studio apartment with its unpainted walls and window facing another apartment complex (like her former residence) made her almost want to cry. In response Leigh Anne turned her head to take in the timbered walls and pine boughs outside her current window. Her friend warned her the room would be smaller than she was used to but Leigh Anne wouldn’t be bothered considering where she was being invited to - the Black Forest.

Her friend, Louisa, didn’t have to ask her twice if Leigh Anne wanted to spend the winter holiday at her _ opa’s _ workshop resting on the edges of the forest. Leigh Anne’s room must have been a closet at some point in time and then transformed into an AirBNB rental. One side slanted following the decline of the roof and could only be accessed by a ladder. Not that Louisa and her family would accept Leigh Anne’s money for her stay, so Leigh Anne insisted on helping in other ways unable to freeload despite what they said.

A year ago she worked a boring job in a boring building paying boring bills, here every dollar-converted-euro was invested in adventure. 

Leigh Anne gnawed gently on her bottom lip in thought.

_ I’ll sign on another year, _ she thought with determination, _ I’ll make extra money tutoring adults or something, write a book or blog. _

There was no way, she decided, she could go back to an eight-to-five job.

She felt a pang of homesickness but it was overwhelmed by the excitement and wonder as she imagined what little she did in a year and what another year (or two) could expose her to. Beneath the romance novel she had just completed was a tatty old edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Her parents didn’t care for fictional books and never kept them in the house, when Leigh Anne moved out she lugged her two bookshelves-worth of high fantasy with her. The Grimm’s Fairy Tales, one she bargained for at a garage sale in the States, was one of the few she brought with her to Germany.

A thrill of childish delight urged her to search for the faces of goblins and sprites in every passing tree and tangle of roots, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the idea they were watching her in turn.

These thoughts tangled together with her last memories of her parents and a shot of irritation riled her.

Leigh Anne sat up and pushed herself off the bed with a self-imposed fury.

_ “What are you talking about? You? Go to Germany? You have never flown before and over an ocean? You barely know how to cook.” _ This memory burned hot despite it being over a year since those words were spoken to her. Her parents had been completely against it, they stood against her decision and were sour-faced when Leigh Anne asked if they would see her off at the airport.

_ “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?” _Her mother insisted and Leigh Anne remembered her response as she made her bed at a feverish pace.

_ “It is no more dangerous there than it is here.” _ Leigh Anne fluffed her pillows and undressed while the memory played out in her head.

_ “We don't have passports, if something happens we won’t be able to fly out there to you.” _Her father stated.

_ They never even came to the airport, _Leigh Anne slid into a clean cami and a fresh pair of jeans. 

_ “Please tell me you're just taking an extended absence from work. You didn't quit did you? You're twenty-six and no longer on our health insurance.” _ her mother had rubbed her temples as if to fight off an oncoming headache.

_ “Mom, I’m twenty-six. I’m going to live a little.” _

_ “Travel when you are more financially stable.” _ Her father had advised.

_**Safe. ** I always have to play it safe._

Leigh Anne, according to the room’s tiny mirror, looked angry with red blossoming in ugly patches on her face. She blew out a long breath as she wrestled her hair into a messy plait.

_ “I’ve already explained this, I’m going over to teach English. I’ve saved up a bit and will be making money while I’m over there. Maybe I’ll consider and figure out how to get my Master’s over there.” _ Leigh Anne had said that last part without thought, she hadn’t been considering further education in the slightest except the hands-on kind. It was a last-resort bid on gaining her parents’ approval. 

Leigh Anne visibly winced, just _ like a child._

_When will it hit me that I am an adult?_

_ “Have you thought this through all the way?” _ her mother had never cried except at the funeral. Back then she was stony faced, cold to the bone. Leigh Anne's heart ached.

Leigh Anne shouldered into a button-up, collared shirt and shoved her phone into a back pocket. She maneuvered her way down the ladder.

_ “Can we not do this? Part ways upset with each other.” _

Her parents had sighed.

_ “We are not upset, just disappointed.” _

_ Just. _That awful word - simple, but to Leigh Anne the epitome of passive-aggression. They weren't always so stoic and weary. All their worlds were rocked including Leigh Anne's. She had always pined for something _more_ tapping away on a keyboard in the office, but things just came to a head. Perhaps flying to another country wasn't entirely out of the blue as they all thought. 

Her feet clapped gently against the first floor, Leigh Anne heard the pleasant thrill of the shop’s cash register. Besides the phones it was the most modern machine in the workshop.

_ Whatever, _Leigh Anne shoved the memory away as casually as she could. Besides the occasional curt text message or email she hadn’t spoken to her parents since that day, a couple of weeks before her flight. She hadn’t even told them the lease on her apartment ended. She had lined it up just right and sold what little furniture she had and stashed her book collection at a friend’s house. The same friend kept her valuable documents in her gun-safe along with copies of her passport and driver’s ID when her parents failed to respond to her text messages and calls.

Her connection to her former home was tenuous at best, Louisa even teased her about getting a citizenship. It would only take nearly a decade to qualify.

“Look who finally decided to get up,” Louisa’s bright voice rose up from behind the counter, her blonde hair just long enough to tickle her thin shoulders.

“Where’s your grandpa?” Leigh Anne waved at a couple browsing a particularly expensive clock with a shepherd and his flock minding the time with a number of other biblical symbology embellishing the face.

“Out in the garden with Grandma and Hans,” said Louisa as she smiled at an approaching customer, “whatever’s been eating the veggies came back again last night.”

It was the winter holiday, so it is important to note that vegetables were not growing in the garden. Leigh Anne knew Louisa was referring to the critter clever enough to outsmart the locks on the doors to pick its way through the kitchen pantry. Leigh Anne wondered why the others were outside investigating when her answer came with a step outdoors.

Dressed in a thick coat (she proudly bought on her own in Berlin with limited German understanding), scarf and boots Leigh Anne made her way outside the house to join in the investigation.

A fresh layer of snow had fallen in the night and covered Louisa’s family home. It was a one-room cottage originally with a storefront and workshop added on in Louisa’s great-great-great-grandfather’s generation. It was an aesthetically pleasing myriad of timber, plaster and masonry. More hand-carved figures could be found in corners and long beams of wood. Behind the building, where Leigh Anne was heading purposely blowing huge puffs of air, was a beautifully crafted shed and what would be in the spring and summer, a lush garden.

Leigh Anne found Grandpa and Grandma (as they insisted on her calling them having taken a shine to her early) and Hans staring at the snow beyond the garden’s boundaries.

“Find out anything new?” Leigh Anne broke through their thinking silence. Hans looked up and greeted her with a bashful smile Leigh Anne thought was sweet, but he was (she believed) too young for her. His cheeks were red from the cold and stray snowflakes caught onto his tousled blond hair.

It was Grandpa who answered, all three spoke English fairly well, but sometimes forget to speak it when Leigh Anne was in the room.

“A horse,” he said, “but I can’t believe it.”

“A _ horse _ is breaking into the house at night?” Leigh Anne looked down at the snow, the trail she found them staring at what was indeed hoof prints.

“See, she doesn’t believe it either!” Grandpa scratched his head. Well over eighty his thin and liver-spotted appearance begot a spry agility and robust immune system. In comparison his wife was plump, but no less healthy. Leigh Anne imagined it had something to do with the climate, but the two were always up and about. Despite her merry deposition Grandma had a shrewd look to her eyes speaking years of business and house management while her husband churned out original woodwork from table sets to figurines. Cuckoo clocks took a different kind of skill and they came on later according to Louisa.

Leigh Anne cocked her head to the side as she followed the hoof prints mark their way back out to the dark edges of the Black Forest. She shivered despite herself and again thought of goblins hiding in the gloom.

“It’s not from next door is it?” she asked, Hans shook his head.

“Everyone locked up tight, warm and cozy,” he said, he caught Leigh Anne’s eyes then swiftly averted them. His cheeks suddenly seemed redder and Leigh Anne only smiled softly.

Hans’ family lived right beside Louisa’s and they had a well-kept stable containing a pair of horses, a round pony and a few goats. None of them, when out in the paddock, ever felt inclined to move more than they had to. What few neighbors they had out there besides Hans only had a clutch of chickens and the usual dog or cat. 

“A lost horse, has to be that then,” claimed Grandma with some concern, “I hope it’s not too hungry and returns home soon.”

Grandpa grumbles and went to look over their backdoor with Hans at his elbow, Grandma took me gently by the arm and we followed after them.

“Have you had your breakfast yet?” she asked and Leigh Anne shook her head. “Best we attend to that.”

Leigh Anne let Grandma guide her inside and past the workshop where Louisa was helping an early customer conclude a sale in rapid German. They slipped inside another room, a sparsely furnished hallway, then into the house’s second kitchen. It wasn’t as large as the other with it’s main window facing the back garden and cold storage, but instead it compensated with a homelier atmosphere. As one of the first parts built of the house the panelling of the floor and walls revealed a sliver of its history. The stove was already warm, the iron door cracked open. Leigh Anne could smell fresh bread rising.

“Tell me Leigh Anne,” began Grandma as she rolled back her sleeves and put on her mitts, “how are you feeling? Louisa told me your visa was going to end shortly after the next semester unless you took up teaching the next school year.”

Leigh Anne gave a sigh as she stood next to her preparing dishes.

“I really want to stay, but…”

“But what?”

Leigh Anne heard her parents’ advice croon in her ear and she stubbornly shoved them back.

“I really want to stay and would like to stay even longer, but teaching English...it’s fun and all, but it’s not want I want to do forever.” Leigh Anne stared hungrily at the fresh bread Grandma pulled delicately from the oven. The warmth of the fire stroked her face affectionately before being shut behind the iron door.

“And I can’t get a citizenship for another seven years, so no matter how much Louisa jokes about it that’s not going to happen any time soon.”

Grandma hummed in agreement.

“So what do you want to do for the rest of your life?” she asked patiently.

“I…” Leigh Anne trailed off then looked away, Grandma noticed.

“Well, what did you do before you came here to Germany to teach English?”

“I did paperwork for a large company, I hated it.” _The same thing every single day, _Leigh Anne couldn’t go back to that.

“It paid well though.” She heard her father in her voice.

"Why not just think on it, it's winter break! Enjoy yourself! Here, have some cocoa." Grandma slipped a mug in front of Leigh Anne, it was steaming and she slouched into the rich smell of chocolate with a dreamy smile.

"Do you need any help today? In the kitchen or the shop?" Leigh Anne asked as she wrapped her hands around the mug. It was chipped, painted blue with yellow horses and clearly handmade, Louisa's name was written in childish script on the handle. Grandma shook her head when Louisa's voice rang out.

"Ok, last morning's customer's gone! Leigh Anne!" Louisa flew into the kitchen and whipped around to face Leigh Anne. "We're going out riding today!"

"Today?" Leigh Anne yelped. "In the snow?"

"We'll walk them out to the trails, the trees are so packed together the snow can't reach the forest floor." Louisa reasoned, "how about it?"

"I'll be wearing a helmet right?" Leigh Anne asked nervously.

Fifteen minutes later Leigh Anne with her hands tucked into her coat pockets was following after Louisa imagining riding a horse for the first time. Louisa had offered it earlier when they arrived at her grandparents and Leigh Anne commented on the horses in the surrounding pastures. They were to ride Hans' family horses - Brandy and Dirk. Since their land butted up against Louisa's they often came up to the fence-line to graze. Along with the little round pony, Fabian, they were a friendly trio. 

"Here we are," Louisa guided them past Hans' house, a more modern wooden one, and toward the stable. The smell of hay and animals greeted them long before they entered it. Louisa pulled the sliding door open and once open Brandy stuck his brown head out to investigate their arrival. Leigh Anne cooed over him having petted him at the fence several times before. Regardless he was a large animal and his bulk made her nervous.

"Let me show you how to tack them," Louisa offered. A few minutes later Brandy and Dirk enjoyed a rubdown and were saddled.

"Like this?" Leigh Anne felt she was shoving the bridle onto Brandy and had to get on her tiptoes to reach behind his ears.

"Yep, you got it." Louisa plopped a helmet into her hands a minute later.

"I don't know..." Leigh Anne and Louisa led the horses out of the stable (after leaving a handful of apple slices to appease an indignant Fabian). Louisa rounded the fence toward a riding ring where a mounting block awaited them.

"Nothing to it, just stay on the left side," Louisa held both horses as Leigh Anne climbed up before she herself swung up without the block.

"Show off," Leigh Anne teased and Louisa grinned.

There was a hush when the horses stepped out of the crunchy snow and onto the dark dirt. The Black Forest loomed over them, branches were barren and roots were exposed. It was not hard to imagine one more light snowfall would break through the treetop cover and blanket the trail beneath, but for now the Black Forest looked like it's namesake. Brandy, older and content to plod along, pricked his ears and Leigh Anne tensed. She watched as Brandy turned his head slightly before snorting and returning to normal. Leigh Anne eased back into her saddle inwardly scolding herself. Louisa had told her horses are sensitive and can sense distress, she had to be calm for Brandy's sake. The last thing she wanted was for the horse to bolt and take her along for a wild ride through the deep woods.

Leigh Anne and Louisa talked a couple of times, but their words always trailed off. Inside the shop it was different, the train ride to Louisa's grandparents was different, teaching English was different. Out here in the forest it was so quiet Leigh Anne could hear a distant burble of a creek probably gushing from snow melt. It was not yet cold enough to worry about ice. The air was different too, Leigh Anne inhaled deeply relishing the crisp and clean coldness of it.

Louisa was just saying something about a secret pond when Brandy began to prance. He picked up enough speed to come up alongside Dirk. With a gasp Leigh Anne yanked back on the reins and Louisa reached out to grab his bridle but had to withdraw when Dirk began shifting irritably. Leigh Anne's nerves fired when Dirk let out a shrill neigh and Brandy responded with a deeper bellow. 

“Whoa, boy!” Leigh Anne exclaimed when Brandy lurched unexpectedly, her body reacting on its own. When he calmed down she patted his neck then gave Louisa an incredulous look.

"I don't know what's gotten into them, this is hardly their first trail ride." Louisa said by way of explanation, Leigh Anne felt her stomach clench. Both women looked around them and strained their ears. Not even a breeze to stir up the dead leaves. Louisa nudged Dirk on and insisted the trail circled back, they might as well finished it.

"Perhaps they hear the lost horse?" Louisa wondered out loud, but Leigh Anne could barely hear her over the hard pounding of her heart in her ears. She felt guilty if Brandy could truly sense her mood he was probably more nervous because of her. Louisa, Leigh Anne noticed but didn't comment, gave their surroundings a fretful scan ahead of them. Leigh Anne pushed her heels into Brandy's sides, when he didn't move she pushed so hard she thought she was digging into his ribs. To her relief he finally moved.

She heard something skitter behind them and Brandy came to a stop without Leigh Anne telling him to. He shuffled a bit and she looked back on the trail to find nothing but an empty path framed by swaying bone-bare branches and straggly shadows. She saw a flash of silver glinting between them but figured it was just the snow.

“It’s just a fox, Brandy, c’mon,” she tapped his flank with her heels and he resumed walking with his ears turned back to listen. They were further away from Louisa and Dirk (neither of whom seemed to notice their companions' pause) and Leigh Anne fought to calm her nerves jittering in her gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! What do you think of Leigh Anne? How do you think she will meet Haldir? I look forward to seeing both these characters evolve over the course of the story.


	3. The Silver Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne takes a walk in the Black Forest and makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended Listening for this Chapter:  
“Middle Earth | Rivendell - Music & Ambience” by Ambient Worlds
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not J.R.R.Tolkien therefore I must state that this story is for fun. Haldir and The Lord of the Rings series belongs to J.R.R.Tolkien. I only own Leigh Anne and the other OCs I created for this fanfic.

"Hey, you all right?" Leigh Anne started from her unbroken staring to glance at Louisa. The pretty, yet robust blonde had apparently just left her grandmother's kitchen and in a hurry. Her braid was disheveled (which to Leigh Anne only made her prettier), her scarf thrown on without care and two steaming mugs were held gingerly in her hands. 

"I'm all right, just absorbing everything." What Leigh Anne really wanted to say is that she was trying to sleep with her eyes open and standing up. The night before had proven to be unfit for proper slumber. Louisa and her family would have been really concerned if they had known Leigh Anne had wanted to throw her cell phone out the window and into the snow.

"You look tired." Louisa prodded gently as she handed Leigh Anne a mug. She smelled chocolate and noted that Louisa kept the chipped blue mug with the yellow horses on it.

"My parents emailed me last night," said Leigh Anne finally relenting. Louisa nodded.

"And...?"

"Emailed. They _emailed_ me, Louisa." Leigh Anne felt the emotions she had been so stubbornly trying to shove down into the depths of her soul begin burning at the back of her eyes. They rose in her throat like bile and Leigh Anne was so afraid of having a meltdown right there in front of Louisa. She tried to reconcile her feelings by thinking of the snow that shifted around her boot-clad calves. 

"Did you read it?" she asked gently, but Leigh Anne wasn't done yet.

"Not a text message, not a phone call, they sent me a damn business email. An itinerary of how to return to my old job - aka begging my old boss - or - or -" Leigh Anne didn't care if the hot chocolate was too hot she took a sip and relished the scalding of her tongue. It gave her nervous system something else to think about. A cold breeze ruffled her hair, a deep reddish auburn to Louisa's warm blonde. In her black coat and boots Leigh Anne saw how starkly she stood out against the snow like the brambly black trees of the forest. She couldn't see individual trunks the deeper she looked, the winter-hardened shrubbery and needles meshed together into a gray shroud.

"Damn." Louisa let out a breath. When they first met in Berlin Leigh Anne was professionally warm and kept her personal life to herself. Some wounds were still too fresh to talk about over lunch break. Then came Louisa, bubbling with energy and familial love. 

They took to each other well and Louisa _persisted_. She inquired about her friends in the states (Leigh Anne lied at first and why not? Louisa would never have the chance to know or so she thought.) She asked about her dreams, aspirations, goals, hobbies, favorite foods, least favorite foods, what books she liked and what Leigh Anne did on Sundays. 

At some point between classes Louisa managed to find Leigh Anne's reclusive spot and Leigh Anne slipped up. She confessed her recent emotional crack in her family and why it appeared then feared Louisa would see her as a pity case.

Louisa did no such thing. She had nodded and accepted it and asked her to come with her to her grandparents' cuckoo clock workshop over winter holiday.

"Damn." Louisa breathed again and there was red building on her cheeks as she too took a sip from the steaming hot chocolate.

"They didn't ask how I was, how my time here has been, nada." Leigh Anne, more than anything, wanted to know what cold anger felt like. Not this messy wet kind that threatened to spill over every time she got slightly emotional.

Cold snow. Still snow. Softly falling snow. Be the snow.

"Did you respond back?" Louisa eyed her over the rim of her steaming mug.

"No, not yet." Leigh Anne's jaw clenched and Louisa squeezed her shoulder.

"You're all hurting," Louisa reassured her softly, "everyone responds differently to grief. They lost a child and don't want to lose another."

"But I'm not a child." Leigh Anne said a sob escaping her.

"A lot of parents have a hard time seeing their grown kids as adults."

"It's been a _year_ and I'm still a mess."

"Some messes take longer to clean up." Louisa blew on the rising team creating an eddying swirl. 

"It'll always hurt, I'm sorry." She knew it too. Louisa, in return to Leigh Anne's confession, confided she lost her mother to a car accident when she was ten.

Louisa had found her standing past the shed and now they both stood silently staring out at the Black Forest. She had been out there before even Grandma woke up to work on breakfast. Leigh Anne had contemplated a night's worth of crying, yet fresh air would help her go cold inside. She hoped she didn't worry anybody by coming out here so early.

"Ah, looks like our nightly visitor came by again." Louisa pointed at the snow around Leigh Anne's feet. In the dark of the morning she didn't see them but in the growing light she could see the clear imprint of sparkling horse hoof prints.

"Maybe it's a unicorn, it would explain how its picking the lock. You know? The horn?" Leigh Anne felt around for a joke but in her solemnity it fell flat. Louisa played along however.

"No way, then the hooves would be cloven like a goat's! Plus snow doesn't fall where a unicorn lives, _honestly_, don't you read?" Louisa's teasing did not fall flat and eked out a smile from Leigh Anne.

Leigh Anne's eyes fell on Louisa's handmade mug once more. The yellow paint's varnish was glossy and the horses were drawn with some accuracy: four legs, brown hooves, a tail, a mane, a long face and two ears going in two different directions. One even had a little foal dashing along beside it. 

At this moment Leigh Anne felt unhappy and wanted to selfishly exploit it. She wanted to scream at the unfairness of life.

_But. _

But she was here, in Germany, of her own volition. She found out, albeit a little later than others in life, she could do whatever she wanted with or without her parents' consent.

But there was a selfishness to that as there was a selfishness for wanting her parents' approval and their happiness.

_Had doing everything they wanted you to do pleased them before?_ Leigh Anne wondered.

_No._

"I think I'm going to go for a walk," Leigh Anne said suddenly.

"Want me to go with you?" Louisa asked. 

"Nah, I won't go far." Leigh Anne marked her friend's mild concern, but it was a well known fact that even Grandpa, with his bad hip, walked the trail just fine most days. The snow, even when it fell heavily, did not gather high in the forest itself and the magical quality made Leigh Anne yearn for the walk as much as the promise of solitude.

"I'll be back when I'm done," Leigh Anne gestured to her own mug and Louisa still looked sad but whether it was from the news of her parents' email or being denied company she couldn't be sure.

Leaving Louisa standing in the snow Leigh Anne trudged towards the small break in the forest's edge. Once on the trail Leigh Anne didn't allow her negativity to step along beside her.

_Stop feeling, stop feeling, stop feeling. _ She took up the mantra in her head as she sipped again from the plain brown mug. Leigh Anne savored the creamy chocolate as the forest slipped inside her. Even though the snow didn't fall as heavily enough slid past the treetops and coated the Black Forest white. The trail she was following was bumpy and ridged from Grandpa's repeated footsteps and Leigh Anne contentedly followed them. Around her it was quiet except for the occasional scratch and snap of the undergrowth. Spanning before her was an unbroken tangle of white and black branches, scrubby shrubs and pine.

Her emotions were mellowing and she could finally breathe easily, a breath left her in a puff.

Leigh Anne brushed her right hand along the side of her coat then reached in to feel for her phone. She didn't take it out she just fondled it for a minute before turning the volume down by pressing on the side button. Her parents couldn't follow her in here, she could be alone with herself for a few minutes. What could it hurt?

A loud sound made Leigh Anne jump. She had dozed as she walked allowing her eyes to fall halfway as she drank from her mug. Some of the hot chocolate sloshed over the rim and Leigh Anne looked about for the source of the noise. She was relieved to find a gently swinging branch up ahead - a load of snow must have become too much for it and crumbs of white drizzled over a blackberry bush beneath it.

Her imagination took hold she thought she imagined the little round eyes peering out at her from the depths of the bush. She imagined a goblin or an imp might have been playing a trick to scare her. She smiled to herself thinking of the little people running along the branch to knock off the snow, perhaps to distract her. From what? Leigh Anne glanced back the bush and saw nothing there and she sighed.

Her life could be a _little _more exciting. Moving to Germany was the first step - she ultimately realized she wanted an adventure. She was on the cusp of one, she could feel it. To her an adventure was something that would spring upon her spontaneously like a half-giant showing up at her front door telling her she was a witch or finding out an unknown relative had passed and Leigh Anne was to inherit an ancient house that hadn't been organized in over a century. The surprise! The history and suddenness of it! To feel a thrill! She took initiative and was grasping at every opportunity that came her way since like accepting Louisa's invitation.

Leigh Anne, however, wasn't crazy. She knew the difference between reality and fantasy. She knew nothing _magical_ per say in the way of wand-waving and unicorns would happen to her - she just wanted something completely unexpected to fall into her lap and here she was out walking in mildly questionable terrain looking for it.

But she found the horse. Leigh Anne came to a sudden halt.

He gleamed silver framed by the black brambles and roots. Large and sleek despite the weather (he wasn't shaggy like Brandy and Dirk). His eyes were large and dark. When he shifted his weight Leigh Anne caught the dappled-star pattern on his rump. 

It took her a moment to realize he was saddled, but not in the same way Brandy and Dirk had been. His didn't appear to be as large and bulky as their saddles and from a distance it appeared brown with hints of green and silver. Yet if he was saddled it must have meant he had a rider. Leigh Anne tore her avid gaze away and looked about.

"Hello?" Leigh Anne called out, but no one answered. The horse swished his white tail and regarded her cautiously.

Tentatively she took a step toward him. She called out again and still no answer.

Leigh Anne frowned, suppose she should go back and tell Louisa and Grandpa? But what if he ran away and she never saw him again?

_ It's not like he's a tiger or a wolf, _ Leigh Anne thought to herself as she took a few more steps, emptying then placing her mug off to the side in the crevice of a pile of rocks. For a horse that had been sneaking treats from the pantry for the past couple of weeks he wasn't skittish, but then again would a skittish horse be bold enough (or clever enough) to approach a strange house and sneak into their food supply? He snorted and gave his mane a shake, some snow flurried out and bewilderingly Leigh Anne wondered if some of that fallen snow had hit him. Had he been standing there this entire time and she hadn't noticed? How distracted was she?

Now that she was closer she could make out the details of the saddle and that his bridle didn't have a bit, in fact he had no reins at all. The saddle and bridle were mainly a rich brown, woven in intricate braids and soft panels along his flank. Lightly bundled saddlebags with glinting toggle fasteners were a mossy green and intricately sewn. Leigh Anne wasn't a horse expert, but this saddle appeared to be a cross between a jockey and the heavy ones Brandy and Dirk bore. Something for fast travel? She was probably overthinking this, obviously this could have been for show, not for actual riding function. A three-tip leaf motif was carefully embroidered into the flaps of the saddlebags and in the elaborate brow band.

Their gazes met. He snorted releasing a mist from his wide nostrils.

"You're beautiful." Leigh Anne muttered and he grunted softly as if to thank her for the compliment.

"Are you the one sneaking in to the pantry? Won't all that food give you colic?" Leigh Anne, of course, was just humoring herself, but she was a little unsettled when the horse shook his large head seemingly again in response, upsetting another flaky layer of snowflakes. 

Looking into those liquid eyes she felt something deeper than the average animal intelligence. Leigh Anne scolded herself inwardly, here she was mesmerized by the creature when she should have been trying to figure out how to get him back to Louisa's. They could keep him at Hans' she thought until they found his owner. It shouldn't take long and they were all animal lovers, even Leigh Anne would help pay for his food and straw. A gorgeous horse with this kind of saddle and bridle he might have bolted during a historical reenactment (although of what part in history she had no idea) or a cosplay event (a long shot sure) but he and his obviously cost a pretty penny. Someone had to be looking for him because if he was hers she wouldn't be able to sleep until he was found.

"Someone must be missing you." She gathered her resolve and reached out with her palm up, knowing this was ok with dogs so it must be good with horses right?

The horse regarded her a moment more before she reached out, stretching his muscled neck, and tickled her hand with his whiskers. His large nostrils somehow opened wider as he took a whiff of her than he turned away to look out at the forest. His withers shook and Leigh Anne slowly reached out to grasp his bridle hoping he wouldn't rear or bite.

"C'mon, let's get you someplace warm." He had to be cold without a winter coat. The horse didn't react when her fingers curled around the side of his bridle and his head dipped toward her when she gently pulled.

_ Ok, ok, I got this, easy... _ Leigh Anne guided the horse around the bushes crusted with snow and he did so without hesitation. In comparison to Brandy and Dirk, neither of which wanted to leave the warmth of their stable and needed to be persuaded, this horse glided. Her heart was pounding knowing she was inexperienced but not wanting to leave the animal out in the cold any longer. Leigh Anne was holding her breath when the bushes ended and there wasn't anymore barriers between them. 

He was massive. Leigh Anne's first encounter with Brandy and Dirk had set up her standard for all horses. There were horses (Brandy and Dirk who stood a respectable fifteen hands), there were ponies and then there were minis which were the size of medium to large dogs. Leigh Anne had been nervous when she first got on a horse and being only average height herself felt on top of the world on them. This silver horse was clearly beyond fifteen hands and the heat he radiated as she stood at his shoulder was immense.

He was also very patient, once they stood side by side he stopped when she stopped and placidly waited as she took his full measure.

With one hand on his bridle she turned and stroked his neck. Apart from some mud on his hooves, leaves in his mane and burs in his tail he was relatively well groomed. Obviously he was well cared for.

"Where's your owner, boy?" she asked and he glanced at her then looked forward with another expressive grunt.

With a cluck of her tongue Leigh Anne went to pull at her bridle, but as soon as she angled her body forward he was already taking a step. She almost took her hand from the bridle it almost felt like she didn't need to guide him by the head. Leigh Anne kept at it though and frowned to herself as they walked back whence she came. A series of thoughts bombarded her as they drew closer to the forest's edge. Should she walk him to Hans' stable first then come back to get Louisa and her grandparents? Her initial thought was to tether the horse to a garden post but without reins she had nothing to tie him with. At Hans' he had two empty stalls albeit without straw or dust. Should she just find a window with the horse and try and draw attention to herself? She didn't want to show up and stick the horse in Hans' stable without asking first although she felt he might not mind it...

The horse made the decision for her. When they came to the end of the path and Leigh Anne could see the house and the smoke curling out of the chimney his smooth stride stopped. His legs wouldn't budge and he snorted his disapproval.

_I will not go further._ His eyes and wide nostrils seemed to say and he shook his whole head for emphasis, removing her hand from his bridle.

"Don't you want real horse food and a warm place to sleep?" Leigh Anne didn't stop to think why she was trying to reason with an animal, her parents already despaired so why not?

Instead he turned and to her horror cantered back down the trail. With a gasp Leigh Anne ran after him but he soon vanished in the bleak wilderness. Standing aghast several feet in the trail with Louisa's ancestral home behind her Leigh Anne looked on and wondered if, in her desperation for something new and exciting, she imagined the silver horse altogether.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 more chapter and we will be in Middle Earth and getting this show on the road! I appreciate the patience because I like to get to know my modern girl OCs before I thrust them into unknown circumstances. I already know Leigh Anne well and want everyone else to know her a little bit too! We know she can handle herself in a foreign country, but a foreign realm?


	4. Once Upon a Winter's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which bad feelings and weather come together and rush the story onward.

Leigh Anne kept an eye out for the silver horse for the next couple of weeks as she helped prepare the house for Christmas. Due to the constant snow and Grandpa's bad hip the decorating had been delayed. When this was mentioned Leigh Anne and Hans offered their full cooperation and soon enough garland laced the railings, wreaths graced all doors and Grandpa was regaling every known winter tale to anyone who paused long enough to listen.

"They sound kind of...dark. The stories I mean." Leigh Anne whispered to Louisa regarding the tales of rituals to keep demons at bay during the winter time.

"They're pagan even though we're christian. Do _not_ mention it where he'll hear or we'll be getting history lectures too." Louisa said with a telling grin.

"When did you stop believing in Santa Claus?" Leigh Anne probed as she dusted a shelf in the workshop, the clock's surface shined in the dim corner.

"I was thirteen." Louisa stated proudly. "My parents were gentle since the kids at school were teasing me about it. They told me anyone who cared more about giving than receiving _is_ Santa Claus. I was sad yeah, I liked the idea of a jolly elf coming down the chimney and leaving gifts. Nowadays I wouldn't mind if some nice guy came along and paid my bills!"

Leigh Anne caught Louisa's eye and smiled. It went unspoken. Louisa figured correctly Leigh Anne was never told wondrous tales about Santa Claus, but Leigh Anne didn't tell her she was one of the kids who teased the others about believing in him.

She hadn't told anyone about the silver horse, she was almost afraid to. It felt if she confessed to seeing him - touching him - it would make him less real and she _really_ wanted this horse to be _her_ secret for a little while. For a couple of nights she felt guilty for it but told herself what did it matter if she saw him or not? It wasn't like anyone had spotted or captured him before. Looking at him he was clearly not suffering despite his sleek, shiny coat. Maybe he was a specialized breed with a better internal furnace? What did she know? She made up for it by searching online or the bulletin board at the nearby cafe for anyone looking for him. She hadn't given the mystery horse much thought before, but his hoof prints in the snow up until she saw him were the equivalent of fairy feet prints. Something fascinating to daydream about, but nothing tangible.

Yet she held him by his bridle. His whiskers brushed against her coat and the fog of his breath proved his real-ness.

Leigh Anne huffed as she heaved a heavy box of tree ornaments down the hall and into the living room.

Grandpa and Hans were finding the hoof tracks still, but now they didn't just wander into the larder. They ran along the fence line of the garden and even in front of the workshop now.

_Is it possible,_ Leigh Anne wondered, _he is looking for me?_

It was a fantasy she allowed herself to indulge in especially as she, to no fault of her own, was infected with the holiday spirit.

"What are all these animals?" Leigh Anne pulled out a dozen of different animals carved lovingly out of wood. Each one bore a saddle painted with minute details of poinsettia, holly and evergreen. These were all clearly old and well-cared for if their careful packaging was anything to go by. One animal, the dove, seemed a little more recent and it's saddle had an olive branch.

"The Yuletide animals, here's the buck, the boar..." Grandma shifted through the box and unwrapped each one, the brown paper crinkled in her liver-spotted hands.

"Here's the Yuletide Horse, couldn't do without him." Leigh Anne's heart had skipped a beat when she pulled out the little silver-painted horse. 

"Why? What's so special about the horse compared to the others?" Leigh Anne had to unstick her tongue from the roof of her mouth. The look-alike was freakishly coincidental. Grandma contemplated over the ornament maneuvering it between her fingers fondly. The saddle had stars painted delicately on the saddle above some ivy, the only difference was with the real thing (and he _is_ real Leigh Anne kept telling herself) had stars on his fur instead.

"Well, horses were indispensable back in the day. Farms were built on the shoulders of 'em and they sped things along didn't they? Horses pulled the plows, provided milk, got goods to market and doctors to sick people." Grandma placed the little silver horse on a branch. "I do hope the one in our woods isn't too cold."

Leigh Anne nearly said something, but caught herself just in time.

Once the tree was up and shining bright she went up to her room. Since her parents' dismal email Leigh Anne had been purposely avoiding her notifications. Her phone sat on its charger up on the nightstand screen-down most days - she wanted to relish her German winter break as long as possible. She slipped beneath the quilt on her bed and pulled open one of the books she brought with her to Germany. A worn paperback of _The Last Unicorn_ Louisa just returned to her. As an early Christmas present Louisa had also given her a german edition.

"To help you study more," Louisa teased.

Outside the snow ceased and night began to fall.

"Schatzi," the word rolled off her tongue as Leigh Anne pondered over the silver horse, remembering what the main character called her lover in the book she read a couple weeks earlier. She felt obsessed, she was thinking up names for the horse! Like he was hers to name! Even through dinner she couldn't take her mind off the animal.

When she returned to her room she foolishly checked her phone to find her parents had sent her another email clearly impatient for a response. In her mind she tried to think of them saying it jovially, with genuine, familial affection like Grandpa and Grandma teasing Louisa over another guy at dinner. The thought fell flat, her family...no. She's done thinking about them for the night.

_Bite your tongue, don't say what you actually want to say._ She mentally repeated over and over again.

_"I'm not my sister, I never will be." Just say it. _Leigh Anne immediately felt guilty so she ignored the email and opened the book that held her enraptured when she first arrived. The main character came to call her love interest "Schatzi" which she learned meant sweetheart. No matter where their journeys took them, no matter how far apart they were separated, they always found each other again usually in a romantic alcove in a city or a hidden copse in the forest.

She liked the sound and meaning of the word.

At some point Leigh Anne felt her eyelids grow heavy and the cozy warmth of her little room lulled her to sleep. She dreamed of snow, and oddly enough, of lightning. The little silver horse hanging on a tree branch downstairs twinkled behind her eyelids. It twirled before her and she tried to reach out and touch it. Leigh Anne woke with a start to a darkened room.

Having fallen asleep with her contacts still in her eyes they leaked as she blinked them furiously. She was rubbing away the tears on her sleeve when she heard a dull bang outside. No doubt that was what initially woke her up. With a frown Leigh Anne rolled out of bed still fully dressed in a thick sweater and jeans. She lifted her window to peer out cracking ice at the sill in doing so.

The cold air bit into her exposed skin at her face and neck as she leaned a little out the window. Pinpricks of discomfort poked at her eyes as she peered into the darkness. Since she faced the forest she overlooked the backdoor at an angle. The larder door was open and swinging gently. Upon closer inspection she saw a great mass moving - a silver shadow that blended in with the deep-blue snow of night! 

Leigh Anne inhaled a sharp breath and stared a bit longer. A glowing gibbous moon (almost full) dusted the forest and land with a faint light. When the bright orb fully emerged from behind a crawling cloud the moonlight caught every dappled spot on the horse's flank. The silver fastenings of the strange tack glinted.

She doesn't remember the hasty climb down the ladder nor the soft scramble through the house to poke her head out of the back door. Either she was too loud and alerted him (which was highly likely) or he simply had his fill of stored apples for he was already gone by the time she emerged. However she managed to catch a glimpse of his shimmering tail flashing in the light before he slipped away once more into the shelter of the Black Forest.

"Maybe we should leave something out for it?" Leigh Anne suggested the next morning when the household gathered at breakfast before the store opened. Grandpa had already discovered the hoof prints although she shut the larder door before she had gone back to bed earlier.

"And attract all sorts of wild life and little folk? Nah." Grandpa sniffed and Louisa gave Leigh Anne a knowing look.

That night Leigh Anne was more prepared. Gathering all her hope tight in her chest she tiptoed out of the house bundled tight with a bag of apple slices and Christmas cookies, hardly healthy but she just needed something to bribe the horse with - if he came that is. The snow had been falling lightly into the twilight and along with the white landscape the world seemed quite enchanted. 

It was nearly midnight and initially she didn't think she would wander much further past the backdoor. She was antsy.

"Where are you?" she whispered under her breath.

She waited until three in the morning, but ended up taking heavy steps back to bed.

_I'm being ridiculous, _she thought a few hours later as she was helping Grandpa make his self-proclaimed world's-best cinnamon rolls. When they were done there was enough for everyone to have two hot and gooey goodness.

_I'm justing trying to take my mind away from more serious matters, _Leigh Anne bit into her roll once more.

Not that her thoughts mattered she was outside again that night with another bag of apple slices and the same cookies. When midnight came and went she began nibbling on a snowman glittering with red sprinkles.

"C'mon, Schatzi..." she mumbled between bites. The moon, now a sliver away from being full, glowed brightly in a cloudless night sky. Leigh Anne's eyes caught something flashing in the forest.

She watched, frozen, as the silver horse stepped out. He stood in stark contrast to the black bramble around him even without the moon's help. Leigh Anne swallowed the last of her cookie and watched afraid to blink. The horse picked his way a few more feet but stopped right before the fence marking the yard's parameter. He huffed and pawed the ground. After weeks of picking at their food why was he now suddenly wary? It couldn't be because of her when he allowed her to come close before. Slowly she stood from the bench just outside the backdoor.

"Do you want an apple? Well, actually it's a slice, but..." _Stop it, he's a horse! _She bit her bottom lip then reached into her bag and pulled out a slice. She held it carefully between her gloved fingers. A few yards away the horse's ears pricked forward and he snuffled lightly. He didn't move, so it was clear to Leigh Anne he wanted her to meet him halfway. Moving her legs, after a couple of hours sitting in the cold and dreading his possible flight, was like trudging through icy mud. She dared not move any faster.

"Good horse, stay..." she heard herself speaking as she held out the apple slice. He gave no indication he would bolt and she gained confidence.

_Don't show fear, don't be nervous. _Leigh Anne gathered her resolve and walked more confidently.

It seemed to take years but there she was before him and the horse sniffed at the apple slice. When he sucked it out of her hand she inwardly gave a sigh of relief.

While he munched she reached in for another slice and dropped it to the ground, remembering Louisa's advice not to hand-feed horses otherwise they might learn to bite.

When she did this he gave her a look she could only comprehend as annoyance, but the moment passed too rapidly for her to further contemplate. When he bent down to snatch up the next slice Leigh Anne tucked the bag under her arm and finger by finger took the glove off her right hand. By the time his head came back up she was digging in the bag.

She pulled out a blue sprinkled snowflake cookie and the horse gave a happy snort, but he held back. Brandy would have stretched out his neck by now to swipe it up. He seemed to be waiting for her to offer it.

"You're a polite horse aren't you?" she placed it on the ground and as he bent down she rose. She cautiously placed her hand on his neck and followed it up until she couldn't anymore. He didn't feel cold, rather hot to the touch and as soft as she remembered him. While she was admiring the intricate braid of the bridle (was that leather?) he raised his head and to her shock, put his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. She froze again as they stood cheek to cheek. Then as suddenly as it happened he leaned away and turned to eye the forest behind him.

Leigh Anne, bolder than ever, stepped closer to rub his shoulder and run her hand down the saddle. She started when the saddle dipped forward and she looked over to see that the horse was bowing. Not really but that was how she saw it. The horse had bent down, folding one leg in and the other outstretched. The one liquid black eye she could see seemed to be impressing upon her an unspoken command.

_Get on._

Leigh Anne stared slack-jawed. 

It was like an illustration straight out of a fairy tale. There she stood between civilization and the forest on a winter's night with a magical silver horse asking her to ride him. An adventure was a guarantee.

_You don't have a helmet._ Said a snide, but rational voice inside her head. At this Leigh Anne took a step back.

"I don't-" she cut herself off. 

The moment ended, the offer withdrawn. The silver horse stood up, shook himself then with one last glance at her he turned and vanished back into the forest.

Her jaw worked to say something, to call out to him _I changed my mind_. 

Instead she cried.

* * *

"Am I a boring person, Louisa?" Leigh Anne asked the next day. She was miserable and tried not to let it show failing miserably.

"Hardly," Louisa didn't seem to think much of the question as she sipped some hot chocolate. It felt like all they were doing until Christmas was drink hot chocolate and eat cinnamon rolls. It was wonderful. "Boring people don't leave their home and cross an ocean."

"I'm not trying to be pitiful, but...here's a question. What would you do if a magical horse came out of the woods in the middle of the night and bent down to let you ride him?" Leigh Anne asked in a short breath, Louisa raised an eye brow.

"Hypothetically?"

"Of course," Leigh Anne had to laugh, it did sound ridiculous.

"Well, _personally, _I would hop on and go for a ride." Louisa grinned. "But there are rumors saying a pretty black pony may entice you on it's back only to throw you off miles from home. Don't know anything about a silver horse though."

Both of their eyes settled on the Yuletide Horse ornament on the tree.

"If you feel brave enough to endure a hour's worth of storytelling you can ask Grandpa, he's very keen on catching that mystery horse." Louisa gave Leigh Anne a curious look. "Have you seen it?"

"Yeah." Leigh Anne breathed. "Outside my window last night."

"Lucky." Louisa turned back to her hot chocolate and looked into the hearth fire seemingly now in deep thought.

Later that day Leigh Anne found Grandpa chipping away at his next clock. She smiled softly as he bent over the piece so absorbed in his work he didn't hear her come in.

"Louisa told me to ask you about silver horses." She said when he finally noticed her. Beneath his bushy eyebrows his gaze bore into her.

"Why specifically silver horses?" he inquired as he paused in his work.

"Grandma told me about the Yuletide animals on the tree." Leigh Anne said smoothly. "She didn't say much about the horse."

Grandpa took off the glasses he sometimes wore and sat back in his chair. "There's a ton of legends about horses across the world, but one about a silver horse? Sure you're not talking about a unicorn? The ornament on the tree just happened to be painted silver, nothing special about that I'm afraid."

"Bu-ut," he continued, "here's something you won't see in the brochures about the place, but my own grandpapa once told me of a _white_ horse that showed up in the forest one day. Makes me think of the one eating our food, but Grandpapa claimed the white horse had nothing to do with them. Just cantered past a couple times then went away."

"They never saw it again?"

"Never, no other horse either. He asked around about it, but nothing came of it." His eyes twinkled. "Sounds like a grand story might have happened around that white horse. Hold on." Leigh Anne could see him remembering something the way he did when he almost forgot his secret ingredient for the cinnamon rolls.

"He did say a boy, a kid really, said he saw it. Nay, he rode it!" Grandpa was excited now that he remembered this small, amazing detail. "They never told anyone else about it - he told Grandpapa it rode up to him one day and lowered itself so he could get on easier. He rode around his family property until the horse lowered itself again and the boy hopped off. He went to school later that year and later told Grandpapa he never saw it again. But it vanished into the Black Forest, now, isn't that curious."

Leigh Anne saw him wanting to ask, but didn't, showing more restraint than Louisa.

"Now, of course, I don't recommend hopping on a horse you barely know..." he trailed off. Leigh Anne smiled and nodded.

"I was just curious about the Yuletide Horse, that's all. Still a cool story." Grandpa narrowed his eyes then gave a good-natured shrug.

"That's all I got, now, on the opposite side of the spectrum is the black pony called the Pooka..."

* * *

_Be practical._ Leigh Anne was outside again that night but this time had a helmet along with the cookies. When (if) he came she would be ready to say yes. She sat on the bench waiting patiently. The moon was now full and lit up the world as if it were the sun, except it was more tolerable. Leigh Anne rested her head against the wall as she usually did, but the last few nights of little sleep were beginning to creep up on her.

_In a couple of days it will be Christmas,_ and for some reason that gave her a sense of finality. She'll be going back to school for the spring term, which meant back to the city and away from the forest she had come to adore. Then if she were unlucky she wouldn't be able to find a valid excuse to return (it depended on her visa) and she chickened out and returned home to America. She only had the last couple of nights, the most magical of the year.

As if to validate her thoughts the silver horse emerged from the forest once more and Leigh Anne stood and approached him without hesitation. He snorted amicably and pressed his nose against her coat sniffing out the cookies.

"What? No more manners now that we know each other?" Leigh Anne pulled a cookie from a coat pocket and laid it on the ground. He munched as she put her helmet on. He stood up and faced her. For a moment she didn't think anything would happen, but it did. He lowered himself and with a burst of giddiness Leigh Anne slid on. She belatedly forgot there were no reins, but it didn't seem to matter. The horse began moving without her insistence and she reached forward and grabbed a fistful of his lower mane.

"Not too fast," she said and amazingly, he slowed down his brisk walk.

"Can you understand me?" An insane question a sane person could only ask under the moon after midnight. He whinnied lightly as they rounded Louisa's parameter and left the house behind. It had taken a handful of easy trail riding for Leigh Anne to get comfortable to in Dirk and Brandy's bulky saddles and most of the time she clung to the horn. This one had none, but where Dirk and Brandy had a wide girth this horse was slimmer and didn't possess the laid-back demeanor the retired horses had. She desperately tried to ease herself into the foreign saddle - it was barely there compared to the big saddles. She felt the press of the saddlebags but that was all and there were no stirrups to help push her up. This was clearly a different level of horsemanship she may not have been ready for.

_What am I thinking?!_ Leigh Anne inhaled deeply. _No, relax, it's fine. He won't go faster unless I tell him too._

_I'm losing it. _She mentally concerned. 

They were now several crop fields away from the nearest house. She could pick out a light left on in the distance, an orange prick amidst swathes of blue, black and white. On the other side and significantly closer than the house was the looming Black Forest. It was eerie, but enchanting. The only sound that could be heard for miles was her soft breathing and the muffled crunch of snow beneath the horse's hooves.

"Where are you taking me?" she thought of Grandpa's story about the boy who got to go for a ride. The horse in the end dropped him back off and so she relaxed a bit more. The rational part of her brain was still berating her for making poor life choices, but she knew if she ended up going back to the States she could at least live off the memory of riding a silver horse alongside the Black Forest. The image made for a great Christmas card.

The horse, again without her guidance, took a turn then into the forest onto a path she did not previously see. Suddenly with the moonlight she felt the atmosphere shift greatly. The brambles looked like claws and the branches looked like twisted arms. Leigh Anne's head sunk back into her scarf and her shoulders hunched, she had to force herself to remember she was astride a massive animal and that if there were danger he would get them out of it faster than she ever would provided she didn't lose her grip.

_Why do I even feel this way? _Leigh Anne had walked through the forest multiple times and never felt unsafe, uneasy sometimes, but never unsafe. It felt very much like she does alone in coffee shops and there's a queue. It wasn't a bad environment, she just had issues. Yet the air seemed to be pressing in on her and she found it hard to swallow, but she didn't dare slide off the horse and try and make her way back - she had no idea where they were.

_It's fine, I'm an idiot, but everything is fine. _She took a deep breath as finally the horse led them back out of the forest and into a clearing soaked in moonlight.

The clearing was a near perfect circle lined with small stones not entirely covered by snow. She peered up and gasped - the stars! There were _thousands_ more she could see here than she did back when she was sitting behind Louisa's house! How was that possible? They didn't cover that much distance!

The horse peered up too then snorted, Leigh Anne's neck was beginning to hurt.

They didn't go any further than that. Without prompting a few minutes later the horse turned and went back into the forest. Loosened by the sight of the stars Leigh Anne's hold on his mane slackened. At least until a small black creature flew out in front of the horse and he stepped back abruptly whinnying wildly. Gasping Leigh Anne grabbed on tightly to his mane and the saddle as the horse struck out with his front hooves until whatever threat had passed.

"I think that was enough excitement for one night," Leigh Anne breathed thinking it was a fox that ran out in front of them. The horse nickered in response and picked up the pace nearing a trot. Whatever it was the horse was no longer taking it easy - he wanted out and that raised Leigh Anne's anxiety and inner alarm bells. He had been living out here for how long and a little animal now had him going faster? She would have understood if it had been a _bear_.

_Don't make the animal more reasonable than he actually is. _Regardless she kept her grip strong until Louisa's house appeared between the trees.

Leigh Anne was hoping for something for a farewell as equally as magical as the ride and the experience. When the horse lowered himself and she slid off he cantered back in without a backward glance.

* * *

"Are you sleeping ok?" Louisa didn't hold back, she saw Leigh Anne at breakfast and was outright concerned.

"I waited up to see the silver horse last night." Leigh Anne thought if she told part of the truth she wouldn't feel as guilty, she still wasn't quite ready to reveal more than she had to. It was still mystifying that what happened had indeed happened and she spent the remaining night hours processing that she had ridden the silver horse.

"Did it show?"

"Yes." A little more of the truth, not yet a lie.

"Then your lack of sleep was worth it." She stated with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I don't know where you were looking but I stayed up too and saw absolutely nothing. Where did you see it?"

Leigh Anne blinked in surprise, if Louisa was looking out over the backdoor from her own room she should have seen Leigh Anne easily with a full moon in the sky. By all means she should have seen the horse too, her eyes weren't nearly as bad as Leigh Anne's without contacts.

"Directly behind the house." Answered Leigh Anne, Louisa looked up and sighed loudly with exasperation.

"How in the world did I not see it then?" she mockingly whined. Leigh Anne frowned, but didn't say anything.

"More snow a'comin'," Grandpa said by way of good morning as he stomped into the room brandishing his coat. His nose was red and snowflakes were caught in his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I got the weather warning on my phone this morning." Louisa said between bites of cereal, reminding Leigh Anne she hadn't checked her phone since yesterday.

"I'm going back out to help Hans with some chores, check the wood would you Louisa?" With that Grandpa fled from the room to go back outside. Grandma could be heard in the other room scolding her husband for being hard on his hip. 

Leigh Anne worriedly glanced out the window and saw fat snowflakes falling lazily from the sky outside.

After helping Louisa out with stocking the wood inside from the cords outside Leigh Anne picked her way to the fence and stared hard into the snow. Even with a fresh wave of snow that morning she could make out the divets where his hooves had been.

The snow was beginning to fall a little thicker.

"Leigh Anne!" Louisa called out and she turned back to the house.

_What would I have done if he showed up just now? Hop on his back and ride through a snow storm? _Leigh Anne shoved the voice away, but it whispered through a keyhole and told her off for indulging in fantasy.

Dinner time came and Leigh Anne had to move. Her legs bounced beneath the table as she ate and she paced in her room as the snow outside fell heavy. She _felt_ something coming in more ways than one. No matter how well the horse was handling the cold with his thin coat how would he do in a snow storm? The temperature had already dropped and was still dropping this is the lowest it had been since she arrived. Grandpa was sniffling at dinner and Grandma was tsking over the possibility of a head cold. It was hard for Leigh Anne to look on and see them as frail - to see their actual age. Louisa saw it too, but unlike Leigh Anne who had minimal experience with paternal love of any kind, rolled with it. Winter meant death and Leigh Anne was now churning with feelings she wasn't accustomed to. Afraid for the horse, afraid for Grandpa (do colds lead to pneumonia? Wasn't that _really bad_ for old people?) Afraid for herself.

Leigh Anne went to bed but never slept, so when a shrill neigh pierced the air she practically flung herself out of the sheets. She had her glasses on and was at the window in seconds and couldn't believe her eyes. Surely the snow was playing tricks on her!

There, through the thickly falling snow, was the silver horse and some other creature - no, two, three - a whole group of black animals crowding the horse. The silver horse lashed out with his back hooves and Leigh Anne whirled away from the window. She grabbed her coat and scarf, shoved her phone in her pocket and thrust her feet into a pair of socks. 

Was she quiet as she hurried down the ladder and into the back of the house where she threaded the laces of her boots as tight as they could go? She might have called out for her help, she couldn't recall. She scrambled through the back door and pulled her hood up as she hit the full force of the storm, it didn't seem as windy from inside or had it just picked up. Quickly pulled her gloves on she double-checked the horse's location. She heard his hooves striking an animal as it cried out. What if it were wolves? She couldn't face wolves - but she picked up the snow shovel leaning up against the back door anyway. The snow was past her knees but adrenaline pushed her faster. Raising the snow shovel over her head she brought it down on the closest animal when she was near enough.

Leigh Anne quickly surmised these were not wolves. They were no bigger than the supposed-fox that ran out in front of the horse the night before. Still through the haze of white she couldn't determine their features and swatted at them keeping a wide berth around the horse's lashing hooves.

"Schatzi!" she cried and the horse turned to her and let out a frightful whinny. Two of the creatures had turned on her and she flung the shovel wide. To her show she knocked them to the side, but they rolled and lunged. 

"_Ohmygodohmygodoffoffoffoff!_" Leigh Anne struck them with the handle of the snow shovel as they bit and clung to her coat. They yelped beneath the onslaught and let go, she didn't stop to check for tears. The horse bit and charged until the group of creatures backed off to reconvene. They hid beneath the snow-covered shrubs and thorns, the whites of their eyes gleaming beneath the soggy boughs. Leigh Anne, breathing hard and only too aware of the snow melting on her glasses, went to the horse.

"Are you ok, Schatzi?" the horse's flank was shining with what had to be sweat.

_This isn't good, _his sweat would freeze him if she didn't get him to Hans' stable _now_. But the creatures were stirring, she could feel them amping up for another attack. 

Before her the horse - Schatzi - decided for her. He pulled at Leigh Anne's coat sleeve gently, but urgently, with his teeth and bowed once more. 

Without thinking she immediately jumped into the strange saddle and not a second too soon. Seeing the chance to attack the creatures zoomed out of their hidey-holes and thought to get Schatzi as he slowly got back up. However he stood up faster than they anticipated and now his hooves were flying and Leigh Anne did her best to swing the snow shovel down and away from him. Schatzi, however, was not planning on taking a stand and fighting. Leigh Anne felt him tense and prepare to fly beneath her. Figuring it would be too cumbersome with all her strength she flung the snow shovel down on the creature that jumped at Schatzi's flank.

In a whirlwind of snow, ice-crusted branches and pine needles Schatzi dove into the Black Forest with Leigh Anne clinging to his back. He wasn't mindful of where the trails were this time he was simply galloping haphazardly away from the unknown creatures. Leigh Anne clamped her mouth shut already she tasted melting snow and needles on her tongue from the gasp she gave a second ago. Somewhere in the distance, reminding her of her weird dream, she heard a rumble of thunder.

_A thunder and snow storm? _The one lucid thought she had as she and Schatzi tore through the forest. Her gloves were growing increasingly wet and she feared she would slip off, her legs burned and she feared her glasses would break. She faintly heard someone calling her name but it was too late. Schatzi broke through the last remaining wall of wilderness and lurched into the clearing he took her the night prior, except she didn't realize it the snow was falling so hard. They crossed it in a handful of bounds, Leigh Anne saw something glowing through the wet blur of her glasses and didn't think anything of it.

She flattened herself to Schatzi and she and her muscles screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onward to Middle Earth!


	5. Flight Through The Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne rides for her life and no longer wants an adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended Listening for this Chapter:  
“White Horse”  
Snow White and the Huntsman Soundtrack

[ ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPGLkn4G6KxEKB1px8k0UpeM_CmV4idWjqhqANpQxRu-fe0PBKLLAzaic8per_E3w?key=ZGQ2Q2hnWUMtckRBV1k0RlFBeVNNZXJRaWVMeFhR&source=ctrlq.org)

Leigh Anne had been certain the most terrifying thing she would ever do was get on an airplane (alone!) to fly over an ocean with only a carry-on and an instructional language e-book on her iPhone.

Pelting through the Black Forest barely astride a frightened horse trampled all the fears she had come to know thus far.

"Whoa, Schatzi!  _ Whoa! _ " It was as if her voice couldn't reach him. The snow seemed to be falling harder and Leigh Anne couldn't be sure if they were still being chased. More than once Schatzi barreled through a wall of snow-laden spruce branches and enough bypassed her hood and scarf to slither down her neck and into her flannel pajamas. She didn't have a chance to think about Louisa and her grandparents, but she felt cold, slick mud splash against her pants.

Below them the forest floor turned to sludge, the cold not yet deep enough to freeze the terrain. Mud splattered and coated Schatzi's legs and underbelly. Leigh Anne, in her panic, could not feel the chill sinking in. Despite galloping through branches and Leigh Anne barely avoiding getting knocked off Schatzi was somehow dodging the submerged roots. A stab of terror spiked within Leigh Anne as a tree trunk came entirely too close and grazed her side.

She couldn't control Schatzi  _ at all. _ The world was a blur raging past them.

Leigh Anne couldn't tell if she was crying or screaming or silently enduring the ride. Her ears were ringing as she raised a hand to block incoming branches she couldn't see. Her glasses were wet and smeared making it impossible for Leigh Anne to see. More than once she nearly lost her stability as Schatzi jerked this way and that. 

She was terrifyingly aware if Schatzi swiped by another tree too closely at this speed she would very likely break a leg. Holding onto the saddle with one hand and sacrificing her other arm to the slap of branches Leigh Anne gave screaming another go.

"Schatzi!” His hooves pounded against the ground, she gritted her teeth and gathered her breath. 

“ _ STOOOP!!! _ " 

That seemed to reach him. The stallion snapped from his terrified stupor and slowed until they came to a complete stop. At once Leigh Anne realized there were no more of the creatures chasing them. Indeed they seemed to have lost them. Thunder rolled through the clouds once more and instead of bolting Schatzi shook out his mane. Leigh Anne swallowed as she lowered her arm and managed to pry her fingers, stiffly one by one, from his saddle.

The blizzard had mostly subsided into a gentle snowfall that would have been idyllic under better circumstances.

A quick glance behind them confirmed nothing but forest and churned up snow and mud. There was no trail to be seen, no markers and with the snow weighing down the leaves and fluttering in the air everything looked incredibly unfamiliar.

"Ok, ok, ok..." she breathed forcibly shoving down a well of shrill panic. "First things first, are either of us hurt?"

Although Schatzi held still and appeared to all the world the epitome of calm Leigh Anne feared sliding off to check for injuries. What if he spooked and ran  _ again _ ? What if she were left behind? Worse case scenario the creatures found her and it seemed her strength against them before was ineffective. She had only batted at them she probably seemed no more than an irritating nuisance. If she stayed on Schatzi she was safer than being alone and in relatively deep snow.

What she would have done if Schatzi had sprained his ankle or Leigh Anne lost her seat and fell back there was beyond her. She shivered and belatedly realized her hood had fallen (probably snagged by a passing branch) and the snow had melted slicking her hair down to her scalp and leaving her dangerously wet and cold. 

_ Not good,  _ Leigh Anne felt the cold eke out the warmth provided by adrenaline. She pulled one hand free of her gloves to pull out her phone. Her fingers shook as she pulled up the main screen and found the time (not so long after midnight, she felt it had been longer).

NO SERVICE.

"Shit." Leigh Anne didn't bother lowering her voice. She powered down her phone then restarted it.

NO SERVICE.

She took a deep breath to quell another surge of unproductive panic.

Schatzi stood motionless beneath her. Around them the unusual thunder rumbled a final time as Leigh Anne put her phone away and put her glove back on.

"What do I do?" she said out loud. Schatzi turned his head and with that same personable look that gave Leigh Anne the impression he understood her from before regarded her with concern and...sheepishness? 

Leigh Anne didn't, or a better word for it,  _ couldn't _ feel it was appropriate to let that trait freak her out, especially not now of all times. She was clearly imagining things, how long did it take hypothermia to set in? What were the symptoms beyond being very cold and sleepiness? She failed to read up on that in her german study sessions. Leigh Anne patted the horse on the shoulder wetly, his fur dark and glued to this skin.

"We can follow your tracks back, it can't be that hard can it?" Leigh Anne grinned attempting to be optimistic, but at this point her lips were probably turning blue and her brain was shutting down probably. She mindfully pulled the hood of her coat up trying not to think of dark little creatures with gnashing jaws and scurrying claws that could appear again at any time. 

_ What were those things? Little wolves? Weasels? Weasel-wolves?  _ Leigh Anne stretched her legs out, her thighs screamed from the movement. She hadn't realized how tightly she had held on with all her body. Every muscle sent messages to her brain pleading for rest and maybe ten mugs of Grandma's hot cocoa.

_ They're going to freak out.  _ Leigh Anne grimaced thinking perhaps it was Louisa she heard yelling her name as they vanished into the forest. No small wonder if someone heard the ruckus Leigh Anne and Schatzi were making over fighting off the little monsters. No doubt whoever saw her would alert the rest of the household. She hoped Grandpa with his aching hip wouldn't overexert himself scouting out the forest outskirts - she prayed they wouldn't run afoul those strange creatures and get hurt.

Her eyes burned and she took another shuddering breath. Another look around confirmed they had gone so far into the forest and flew so fast Leigh Anne would have no way of knowing how to navigate a way back. Cheeks a blotchy red Leigh Anne ignored her soaked hood and sat up a little straighter. She imagined she was riding Brandy or Dirk aka normal horses.

Schatzi, in response, following her nudges and the grips on his lower mane began to walk carefully through a thicket of glossy leaves. Neither of them were willing to go faster, in fact, Leigh Anne could not wait to feel solid ground beneath her feet again. She took a moment to assess her coat and wipe her glasses, not that it did much good. Despite there being no apparent injuries twigs of multiple branches had done damage to the sleeve of the arm that shielded her face. A tear gapped through the outer shell and a number of scratches burned red and pink along her face and beneath her glove and along her wrist. With a sigh, she lowered her arm and wrapped her cold fingers firmly around thick strands of Schatzi's mane growing from his withers.

Leigh Anne experimented tugging left and right - Louisa had once told her some people ride without reins (although how eluded Leigh Anne just as those who could ride without a saddle, she currently owed Schatzi's her life) - and found no matter which way she tugged Schatzi remained steadfast to his own compass.

"I don't suppose you can tell me where you're taking us?" They walked for a half an hour without finding any trail markers. At this point Schatzi was nearly dry and Leigh Anne had given up all pretense of being a good model horse-back riding student and lay down hugging Schatzi's warm shoulders. She reasoned in her bed-yearning mind that he knew this place better than her, surely he knew someplace warm and cozy, so he could have full reign so to speak.

Even though the cold nipped and bit at her rationale and she felt bluer every minute Leigh Anne remained under the very real impression one wrong step would send she and Schatzi down a slippery decline. Now that the snow had lightened considerably as they moved into deeper territory Leigh Anne could make out deep ravines sliding steeply down over bracken and thorns. She saw no caves or houses or even a ruin. 

_ Europe is full of ruins.  _ She thought.  _ Stonehenge and stuff. God, I'm tired. _

Two hours the clouds lightened their load so thoroughly that true night settled over them and the panic she tried so hard to keep down was beginning to surface. Leigh Anne brought Schatzi to stop, or he stopped on his own, what did it matter? He stopped, good. They might have been walking in circles for all Leigh Anne could see were trees and more trees and even  _ more _ trees.

The voice that sounded like her parents was scolding her and currently she was happy to have them along in any capacity. She needed to stay awake and logical, but she was so tired...

"Are we  _ that _ lost?" she whirled about a little dramatically in hopes of waking herself up further. Forgoing caution Leigh Anne called out and checked her phone once more when there was no response.

NO SERVICE.

Her voice didn't even echo, but fell flat and was swallowed by the snow. The trees swayed slightly in silent mockery. Schatzi shook his mane out again and a loud snort sprayed water droplets over a large, fuzzy fern. Leigh Anne stared at the plant a moment longer than she intended then blinked, the moment passed. Schatzi stomped a hoof, the effect muffled by the soggy ground and threw his head a couple of times. Leigh Anne, now growing agitated, fought back tears of frustration.

In sickeningly slow motion they watched the ground around them turn a deep shade of dark blue as fat clouds gathered and dispersed before the moon, casting a swathe of indigo over the leaves and turning tree trunks and branches black. Beneath Schatzi the muddy snow darkened, his hoof prints creating small pools for the slosh and snowmelt to collect in.

Leigh Anne surprised herself by acknowledging it wasn't so cold that there was snowmelt and no ice. They still had to be careful but a part of her rested a little easier at the fact.

Knowing that unless Louisa or a search party came and found them now Leigh Anne came to the grim conclusion she would be spending the night in the cold and wet darkness. According to her phone it was after two, the sun would be up in a handful of hours. She just had to keep off hyperthermia and frostbite somehow until then she told herself. Amazingly she could still feel her fingertips and nose, good signs right? Schatzi was also still going strong amazingly. Mayhaps something to do with all these nights spent in the forest alone?

Leigh Anne's eyes rested on that large fern once more and she stared hard. Her glasses had dried with streaks and smudges she couldn't remove without unzipping her long coat and finding a part of her shirt that wasn't damp from sneaky snow or dry sweat. Yet she could see why she had stared.

There was no snow on the fern. 

Schatzi snorted again and gave her a side glance. Again Leigh Anne felt the animal's intelligence bore down on her. Was he trying to show her something? Even with the moonlight slipping through the canopy it was hard for her to make out anything in this dark forest. Even now her mounting anxiety was nearly bad enough to make her sick.

With firm determination and resolve Leigh Anne finally slid down from the saddle to get a closer look at the fern. She kicked over snow and saw it land on black earth. She glanced up and stared into the gloom then blinked back her shock. It had taken her many minutes to see the snow stopped abruptly and the forest she now saw stretched in pure darkness unbroken by gray blankets of snow.

What snow tumbled over was caused by her and Schatzi's shuffling. Leigh Anne put out a hand to lean against Schatzi's shoulder. If she felt unsafe before in the case Schatzi might take a bad step it would be worse now if she rocked his balance in the dark. Underestimating the amount of mud her boots sank deeply with a slurping squelch, had they been sneakers her footwear would have been lost.

Leigh Anne stepped forward and was surprised to see Schatzi step with her, so she kept her hand on the flat of his shoulder and like that she led him through the greenery. There would be no sleeping tonight as Leigh Anne doubted they would chance upon dry shelter. Even without snow this mud made moving slow-going and was it her or were they sinking further with every step?

"You better not sink on me like that horse in Neverending Story, I know we just met but I'll cry my eyes out if you do." Schatzi snorted companionably and occasionally perked his ears forward as if he were listening for those creatures. Her nerves were fraying and she imagined her parents looking upon her having a meltdown.

_ "You put yourself into this predicament."  _ Scolded Mother's voice inside her head.

_ Yes, yes, I'm so impulsive. I asked for an adventure and I got it. But it's not really an adventure until there's a hot guy to pair me up with now is there? _ At this Leigh Anne had to laugh.  _ If there were a hot guy wandering around here his intentions are suspicious at best and idiotic at worst. There's no way Louisa and her family managed to get a search party gathered AND this far into the forest already. _

"Not that I would complain, at this point, anyone would do." She said out loud and she felt Schatzi look at her.

"Don't look at me like that," she said. "What? Never seen a woman talk out loud to herself before? Get this - we're crazy. I mean, look at me? I jumped on you in a blizzard - without a helmet! - and look where I got myself!"

He grunted.

"Yes, yes, I am happy you got me away from those animals, just let me vent." Leigh Anne huffed but found the distraction had worked, for a moment she didn't feel the cold bite.

Thankfully the mud began to lessen the further they walked, but the air remained cold and the foliage bleak. Except for that fern back there Leigh Anne saw no others. 

What felt like hours later Schatzi gave a shrill neigh. The sound startled Leigh Anne so much she nearly gave herself whiplash as she whirled around to see what caught his attention.

"Are you hurt?" 

_ "Yes, talking to animals. If he talks back don't bother calling us, we don't have passports."  _ Her mother continued to chide. 

Frightened that he might have acquired an injury after all was dismissed when she saw Schatzi's head point off to the left. Following his gaze she spotted a large dead tree, around it were low lying boughs of thickly veined leaves. Schatzi nickered and began walking towards it, afraid of breaking their physical connection Leigh Anne fell in step with him. Kicking up mud to keep her hand on his side Leigh Anne saw that in the shadows of the large dead tree was a large den bordered by thick leaves and vines. Taking out her phone she turned on the flashlight app and shined it on the hole.

There was definitely a smell to the place, but at some point Leigh Anne imagined this den sheltered somebody as she found the remains of a fire and even the bones, of what might have been numerous squirrels or rabbits, in it. The dirt inside was churned up probably from its last occupant or curious little animals, but more importantly it was dry. 

Leigh Anne didn't ponder over the charred bits of wood or the odd musky smell that wafted out of it for very long. Already her eyelids were growing heavier with the prospect of rest at long last. Yet she knew better than to do it still damp in the cold. She stood up and looked at Schatzi who had meandered a short way to stand beneath a thickly spruced tree. He gave a massive shake that might have upset the saddle, but when he was done the saddle, thin blanket and loaded bags remained in place. Leigh Anne shook her head, she had more important things to think about than Schatzi's mysterious origins.

She greatly feared he would leave her as she slept. There was no means to tether him and even if she could what if those animals found them? She had to sleep she was nearly dead on her feet and most of her hoped she would pass out then wake in her bed back at Louisa's. Why not? This could very likely be a very bad dream the Leigh Anne she knew wouldn't do something as stupid as run out in her pajamas to help a stray horse.

And if this wasn't a nightmare?

Well.

Not knowing what else to do but shove her guilt and fear aside Leigh Anne approached Schatzi. A warmth spread in her belly when his massive head curled toward her and let out a hot breath on her face, his short whiskers scratching her chin gently. She knew then he wouldn't leave her and she would be damned explaining how she knew that in English or basic German.

"I don't think we’re going to find better accommodation tonight, buddy." Leigh Anne stroked the barest glimpse of a blaze on his face and he whuffled into her shoulder. He seemed apologetic, but she seemed cold and tired and left it at that. She could contemplate the state of her sanity in the morning, for now she figured she might help Schatzi be more comfortable. 

Louisa had told her saddles shouldn't remain on a horse too long and every time she saw him he had the saddle on. Now she had the fact she'd been riding him for at least a couple of hours. Yet when she went to remove the saddle he pulled away.

"Fine, fine, I get it.” She said sourly after she tried again and he pranced out beyond her reach. “ It's like a security blanket or something. Just thought you might like it off for the night." She grumbled half-heartedly before leaving it. With some effort Leigh Anne turned away from Schatzi and with her phone in one hand fumbled into the den on her hands and knees, the wet creases in her skin gathering granules of dirt as she crawled.

"This better not be a rabbit hole," Leigh Anne continued to be a wet blanket as she felt her way around. Once inside there was enough room for her to stand bent over, the walls hung with the roots of the dead tree outside and as importantly as the dryness there seemed to be no spiders or creepy-crawlies either.

Leigh Anne braved taking off her coat to take off her flannel shirt, the coat itself was dry and she would prefer it directly up against her skin. Nervously she plucked the buttons out of their holes and glanced out of the den at Schatzi's glowing silver flank. As panic stepped to the side now that there was some modicum of safety Leigh Anne tried not to think of being found by a search party. Best scenario Louisa found her and she could avoid showing off her lack of good judgement and mud-splattered flannel pajama bottoms. 

As she peeled away her pajama top she became sharply aware she had been wearing nothing else underneath for hours and swiftly slid out of her sleeves, her back to the den entrance, then back into her coat.

On the other hand didn't farmers have to run out in the same manner in the middle of the night if something happened to their animals? Hans must have when he talked of how his parents used to own cows and they had to be around when they gave birth. But Leigh Anne wasn't a farmer and most certainly not the kind of woman who liked going about without a bra even if it might be difficult to tell in her bulky winter coat.

"Stop bitching, go to sleep." Her body complied. As soon as she folded up her pajama top, she pulled out her hairband, shook out her hair the best she could then curled up into her coat arms folded over chest. 

It took some time and even more for Leigh Anne to adjust to how the dry dirt stuck to the wet spots on her coat. She tried counting sheep and that the sheep were jumping over a fence overlooked by a smiling full moon and into a hot bubble bath. Leigh Anne humored the idea of immediately falling asleep, but she had never been a comfortable camper.

She folded up her glasses and placed them over her head so there was no chance she would roll over them. Through the haze of her bad eyesight she watched the shimmer of Schatzi's silver mostly between glimpses at her phone (NO SERVICE) and the power slowly diminishing to sixty percent. She wished she had been able to afford a personal hotspot.

Sometime between what felt like a very long blink it was morning and she sighed with disapproval that she woke to a dirt ceiling with hanging roots. Terror exploded in her chest when she saw Schatzi was not where he was before sending Leigh Anne lurching out of the den jamming her glasses on her face.

"Schatzi!" She was so sure he wouldn't wander and leave her, but she saw him instantly a few feet away. He had been grazing and raised his head to snort then resumed eating. With a sigh of relief Leigh Anne looked around, both relieved and scared they were still alone. Those savage beasts hadn't found them, but neither did Louisa and a search party. The snow had stopped some distance away, but it must have rained or snow had melted this way as it was clear the after effects of such weather would last for days. The trees were sagging and drippy, but green. The mud was black and slippery but with a hard edge revealing the cold temperature was hardening it somewhat.

Leigh Anne, however, did feel dryer than she did and felt fine. No small miracle, she was sure she would be sick with a cold or worse after the night she had.

As she turned to retrieve her pajama top she let out a gasp and stumbled back. In the bleak morning the weak sunlight revealed she had slept with not just scraps of remaining squirrels and rabbits, but also the bones of something much bigger. It was off to the side right outside the entrance and between her smudgy glasses and the nighttime darkness she had bypassed it completely. 

The rib cage was huge and (strangely enough) black and charred. A number of other smaller rib cages (the size of small pigs versus the bear-sized one) spotted the earth around the much larger one. Leigh Anne saw the largest skull had a massive hole in it with three sets of tusks (maybe teeth?) although a couple had snapped off. She counted four small skulls and guessed they were juveniles or babies of the big one which painted a grisly picture. Were these poor animals caught in a wildfire?

"That can't be it." The fire scorched the animals and the land directly around them. As Schatzi munched on Leigh Anne investigated the den once more and fingered the squirrel bones. They weren't black - more recent than the fire? She left the den to glance up at the dead tree and sure enough it must have lit up as well. The bark was flaking away and the branches were curled or threatening to break away.

This deep in the forest it was shocking that no more burned than within a circle around the animals. If the fire originated in the den and the squirrels and rabbits were brought by another more recent predator than why did only five-ish animals get caught in a blaze that seemed happy enough to stay within the parameters of a fallen log and a patch of grass (both fire fodder for sure)? Could a passing storm smother a fire that quickly?

How strange.

Something caught her eye in the hollowed out pit of the giant rib cage. At this point she surmised this was a bear and her cubs even though the skulls didn't appear ursine, but hey, she wasn't an expert. She crouched down, eyed the object (something small and pointed) and agreed with herself it was worth reaching through the slats of the ribcage to grab it.

It was an arrowhead. A black arrowhead.

As far as Leigh Anne knew it wasn't a vital discovery - bears are big and this one probably endured the hit but it wasn't responsible for a fire much less a controlled one. 

"Maybe it started snowing and washed out the fire before it could go any further?"  _ Look at me playing detective. _ Leigh Anne eyed the arrowhead once more, considered it worth keeping and put it in a coat pocket.

"Doesn't explain how the fire started or why." She pondered a moment longer than shrugged. 

Leigh Anne glanced back to see Schatzi still grazing before she slipped back into the den to grab her pajama top. She had pulled off her coat and was hastily shouldering into her top when she made another discovery. 

It was half-buried in the dirt near the old campfire Leigh Anne was careful not to disturb in the early morning. There was an emerald sheen that initially caught her attention and brushing away the dirt revealed a beautiful pendant shaped like a leaf.

Holding it gently in the palm of her hand she emerged fully dressed from the den and held it up to catch more light. 

The fastening and intricate veins of the leaf were in delicate silver. There was a circle for a chain although she didn’t see one and the leaf shape itself had three points, the two side ones shorter than the center one. It wasn't heavy, but it had a weight to it signifying its fine quality. It was clearly valuable and like Schatzi somebody was missing it. Perhaps whoever stayed last in the den had made inquiries at the ranger's station Lost and Found around the Black Forest.

When Leigh Anne went to wipe away more grime she discovered it wasn't just a pendant, but also a locket! Curiously she picked open the smooth clasp with a dirty fingernail. Carefully she opened it to reveal a short lock of red hair tied elegantly in a knot. Inside one of the domes was a flat surface with writing etched upon it Leigh Anne couldn't read.

Yet it looked familiar.

Leigh Anne looked up and her eyes fastened on Schatzi who had paused and was now staring out into the surrounding wood. Fascinated by the possibility she approached Schatzi and placed a hand on one of the saddlebags. Along the toggles and stitches there was what Leigh Anne thought to be a border design, just something fancy, but now she saw that she was wrong.

"Wow." She breathed. "Someone really got into their cosplay didn't they?"

It wasn't an intricate design on the saddlebags but writing, some of the characters matched the ones within the locket. 

“I wonder if this belonged to your owner.” Leigh Anne thought aloud. At this Schatzi raised his head and brought his soft nose to her hands. His nostrils flared and the emerald glinted in her palms. Leigh Anne caught Schatzi’s eyes, he turned so she could only see his left one, the pupil round and focused on the pendant then (seemingly meaningfully) on her.

Then abruptly he snorted and reluctantly turned away. He didn’t resume grazing as if indicating he was ready to go. Closing the knot of hair back inside the pendant she stashed it into a coat pocket that zips then Leigh Anne braced herself. Her thighs still ached from the previous night’s adventure and seemed to hurt more at the thought of getting back in the saddle so quickly. 

Above the morning sun weakly peeked through the brambles of the forest. Grey clouds still hovered but no snow fell.

“We have to be close to  _ someplace _ by now.” Leigh Anne claimed as she tested Schatzi’s saddle and girth, of which he didn’t seem to mind.

“Hold on one more moment.” She looked around and made a dash for bush. After answering the call of nature Leigh Anne checked her phone once more.

Twenty-three percent and still no service.

She would not cry.

“Let’s go.” Leigh Anne pulled herself up into Schatzi’s saddle ignoring her soreness entirely.

While Leigh Anne slept Schatzi apparently made other plans. Those nights spent wandering a winter wonderland astride Schatzi she didn’t have to dig in her heels or push Schatzi on mostly because she had no real reason to. Now she wanted some essense of control and a few hours of sleep had made it easier for her to think straight. Why was she allowing a horse to determine their course of direction? Leigh Anne challenged Schatzi, but he challenged back and ultimately won control of which path they were taking. 

Confused and shocked Leigh Anne tried to urge him in another direction, but he would stubbornly twist his head another way and here her inexperience was a severe disadvantage. Schatzi no longer seemed a mythical creature to her and Leigh Anne scolded herself for ever thinking of wanting a spontaneous adventure. Adamant they go a certain way Leigh Anne had no choice but to either go along with him or slide off.

Which she tried.

“ _ Seriously? _ ” She snarled as he picked up into a trot when she tried to swing her leg over but instead began to cling to him. He would slow down and she would try again only for him to pick up speed again. She swore and clung to his saddle like a frustrated flea.

When they came across a vast field Leigh Anne was at first elated. The field was actually a clearing filled with long golden grass. The grass was bowing as if it had just endured a deluge and hadn’t yet recovered it’s proper vertical position. The sun was higher now, high noon but quickly considering going back down. 

A cloud sluggishly crawled before it casting a shadowy pall over the clearing. A chill ran up Leigh Anne’s spine, but she eagerly looked forward to walking beneath an open sky no matter how briefly.

Schatzi, however, nickered and shook his head beneath her hands, an outright refusal.

Leigh Anne exhaled audibly.

“What’s wrong?” she immediately regretted her frustration. It had been easy to forget why they were this deep in the forest to begin with. Perhaps, as a prey animal, he smelled something in the clearing. She had not thought perhaps the grass was hiding a threat and Schatzi was smart enough to hesitate. Now she was on the alert and eyed the clearing with concern. Her warm bed at Louisa’s had never seemed so far away.

Schatzi gave a low snort then shook his head and mane so hard she could hear his lips clap together.

Taking control again he turned left and walked along the rim of the trees staying clear the grass. An eerie feeling creeped into Leigh Anne and one of her hands unconsciously slid from his mane to the saddle to grasp it tightly.

Whatever about the field that bothered Schatzi bothered her too. He stopped making any sort of noise - no more snorting, head shaking, heck - even his hooves made less noise in the mud. Leigh Anne leaned forward wary of the possibility Schatzi would bolt again.

Leigh Anne herself felt spooked and more clouds gathered blocking the sun longer.

Swallowing Leigh Anne tried to urge Schatzi back into the forest, but instead he stopped, his strong neck tensed and the powerful muscles rippling beneath the saddle bunched.

_ Please don’t bolt again. Please don’t be a reason to bolt.  _ Leigh Anne glanced at what Schatzi was looking at and gasped.

From their spot on the outside edge of the grass they came to a point they could see clearly into the center of the golden grass, more a mustard yellow without sunlight. A mound of bones, sinew and disintegrating gore black with decomposition lay in the center of the clearing. A soft breeze picked up and the grass swayed, but Leigh Anne could still make out its gaping maw. A broken smile revealing rows of tiny teeth and a pair of sharp tusks.

From this distance she could go on believing it was a boar, but knew it was one of the creatures that had chased them into the Black Forest. Leigh Anne immediately saw what must have killed it. Three arrow shafts were sticking out of its chest and it didn’t pass by Leigh Anne’s notice she had an arrowhead in her coat pocket. A coincidence? How many people in the age of guns hunted by bow and arrow? Again she felt her ignorance prick at her, maybe more than she thought? Perhaps this creature was shot and killed by the same person who struck the bear back at the den? Did this person also start the fire? What purpose was there to do that? 

It occurred quite late, but Leigh Anne wondered if there had been thunder perhaps there had been lightning? Maybe it struck the tree and lit the area up enough right before it started to snow? Or rain. God, she was probably just overthinking everything. Yet the idea that someone was killing animals and setting fire to the den told her intuitively she wasn’t wrong.

Leigh Anne had been very hungry but now her appetite vanished as a tingling sensation she could only imagine to be Very Real Fear went down both her arms. She didn’t think it was legal to hunt or set fires in the Black Forest.

“Schatzi,” Leigh Anne spoke soft and low, again there was that feeling deep inside her that felt Schatzi was no normal horse (or perhaps she was just craving conversation at this point and she was desperate.)

“What is that?”

Schatzi didn’t snort or stamp a hoof, but he did keep walking and eventually enough grass rose up to cover the beast’s grinning maw so that when Leigh Anne looked back she was relieved not to see it anymore.

Leigh Anne was fervently looking for any running water or even snow to stuff into her mouth when the sun was growing closer and closer to the western horizon once more. She was thirsty, hungry scared and the mud had dried to her pants so that every time she moved it cracked and shifted inside her equally coated boots. She was convinced the next time she saw a shower she would sleep in it.

Now that they might be facing a second night alone without a full meal and no search party in sight Leigh Anne’s frustration and fear were mounting to critical levels. It had grown warmer since they last saw snow, but mud remained a constant fixture to the snug terrain and Leigh Anne couldn’t remove her heavy coat because her flannel top was too thin so a thin layer of sweat glistened on her forehead. She told herself she was warm because of her coat.

_ What’s the general rule? Humans can go eight days without food, but only three without water?  _ She looked about her in a casual way far from how alert she was at the grassy clearing.  _ At least I’m not on Naked and Afraid. _

Since seeing the mysterious creature in the clearing Leigh Anne kept some rigidness to her spine in the saddle and stopped thinking about getting off of Schatzi. If she somehow dismounted and didn’t hurt herself while Schatzi broke out into a trot who was there to say no more of the creatures were around and alive to use those teeth on her? No, Schatzi knew what he was doing and it may be the craziness setting in but she knew her best chance of getting back to Louisa and her family was best on the back of Schatzi.

Some fun thoughts while Schatzi kept firmly to a plodding walk for hours on end was thinking about who shot down the creature? And if they would put those same arrows into her if she encountered them. Schatzi was silver and her coat was black, her pajama pants were lavender with a floral pattern on them would they be mistaken for a wild animal in the quiet brush of the forest?

She thought once more of Louisa and how worried she and her grandparents must be, Leigh Anne certainly was. Grandpa would be stating he was fit enough to search the forest, but Louisa and Grandma both knew better. Hans was a nice guy and would be a part of the search party.

Leigh Anne took a deep breath and thought more of Hans. Louisa liked to tease her about the way Hans looked at Leigh Anne and he was handsome, but the hopeful look he sent her way made her chest tighten unpleasantly. Perhaps he would be the one to find her and he would help her get back to the search party and alert the authorities, but he would never press her for affection that way. She knew him well enough at this point to know he wouldn’t expect that. 

She also knew they wouldn’t mesh well and didn’t want to lead him on, so she tried not to give him the idea there was a chance at a future. If Louisa wasn’t so insistent on Hans having a crush on her Leigh Anne wouldn’t be so arrogant to think that. There were other teachers in Berlin in the same English-teaching program and she made it clear she wasn’t interested in dating.

What her soft dismissals and gentle turn-downs really meant she wasn’t interested in their way of passing time. She couldn’t do one-night stands or casual short-term relationships anymore than she could do calculus. She had gone on numerous blind dates made by co-workers and sort-of friends (none of which knew of her familial situation like Louisa) and these made one thing clear to Leigh Anne. She simply wasn’t dateable - at least not yet.

On social media her high school friends made it clear they weren’t wasting time. Facebook was a public diary of dates, break-ups, failed and successful new years’ resolutions, babies and career milestones. Instagram was a torrent of new girlfriends and boyfriends, new houses and baby birthdays. Leigh Anne downloaded Snapchat only to delete it a week later.

Leigh Anne had no interest in going to bars, restaurants where the small chat was stale and the conversation staler. No one took her seriously when she asked to meet up at a bookstore to hangout. She didn’t care for movie dates and avoided them altogether. She felt so out of touch with her own age group and every day she was falling another step behind.

It wasn’t that these guys were terrible or anything, but she simply  _ didn’t care to date _ and this confused the most important people in her life.

_ “They would have married by now and given us grandkids.”  _ Her mother snarled sharply in her memory and the white-hot fury and grief nearly overwhelmed Leigh Anne when Schatzi’s abrupt stop yanked her back hard to the present.

The way he raised his head and his ears swiveled put Leigh Anne on high alert. Anxiously she looked around listening for odd sounds, but other than the soft scurry of a squirrel in the undergrowth she heard nothing. 

Looking ahead expecting another dead (or worse, alive) disfigured creature with twilight crowding the sky the gathering dark had an ominous feel to it she didn’t appreciate. All she saw was a dense grove of trees with a faint fog weaving through the lower branches and floating quietly over a cluster of mushroom caps and mossy roots.

Beneath her Schatzi wasn’t tensing, not in the same way when they discovered the creature earlier. Not understanding the way he slowly moved forward, parting the fog, until they drew deeper into the grove where they eventually came upon a coppiced wood. Here the fog still lingered. Schatzi’s broad chest and shoulders parted through a pair of whortle-berry bushes and he picked his way gingerly.

Leigh Anne, previously preoccupied with the first stars to appear in the twilight, brought her gaze back down to pick out the emergence of plants such as the purple blooms of wolfsbane and several others she couldn’t name when her breath caught in her throat. The numerous flowers were fresh and their leaves were curling almost mournfully over a boot to which Leigh Anne realized was attached to a leg which in turn was attached to a person.

A man was laying on the ground before them.

Leigh Anne’s brain went blank before she began to sputter.

Going by the pallor of the man’s skin, his closed eyes and still chest she was relatively certain she was looking at a corpse.

Starved for oxygen she sucked in a breath of cold air and felt her eyes well up, her lips parted in abhorrent shock. Her grip on Schatzi’s saddle slackened completely and her feet dangled at his sides. As far as she could tell she was weightless and forgotten by Schatzi as he, to her surprise, lowered his head to nuzzle at the man’s shoulder.

Taking long blinks and a deep breath to steady her Leigh Anne’s eyes left the face of the man. Thoroughly disturbed by the ethereal beauty and the way the fog seemed to part around him she found her gaze drawn up and down his form (looking for any sign of life) until she zoned in on an uncovered and  _ pointed _ ear over long, sprawling brown hair. Schatzi nosed the strange man gently, as if to see if he would wake. When he realized this would not happen, he took his nose away and the man’s head gently lolled back to where it was.

It was one thing to see her grandparents at an open casket funeral, it was another one entirely to find a dead man in the woods only a couple years her senior. Old people were expected to die and they were supposed to do that in their own houses or in nursing homes. What was this guy doing out here and what did he die from?

His coppery complexion seemed to glow, smooth and gently gilded in the dying sunlight. He wore a green tunic, his chest covered by a gray cloak sprinkled with brittle leaves. A quiver of arrows poked out from behind his shoulder making Leigh Anne’s eyes widen, she reached into her pocket to thumb her own arrowhead. Schatzi nosed him once more than he made a deep mournful sound she didn’t think horses were capable of.

Visibly deflated he turned away and Leigh Anne let a few tears fall. 

_ We really need to find someone - now! We need to call the police! _ She pulled out her phone hoping - no,  _ praying _ that she would finally have service.

Worse, her phone was now dead.

Leigh Anne could feel her heart beating in her ears as she peered at the body over her phone almost half-expecting him to be staring back at her. She shivered, but the eyes remained closed and Schatzi hung his head. Belatedly she realized this man must have been here during the storm, she was no expert but he looked as if he had died moments ago. The rain had soaked him through, but a darker coloration in the center of the gray cloak covering his midsection looked suspicious.

Suddenly she remembered the rib slats of the giant bear-like creature from this morning. There was a secret here as there was back at the den, something had happened here and nervously she fingered the arrowhead again until a sharp pain flowered in the pad of her thumb. She brought her hand out to suck on it - the tip of the arrowhead had cut her. At the same time a breeze picked up - clouds were gathering - and the cloak fluttered.

It shifted away and revealed a gaping, bloody hole at the center of multiple slash marks. With a gasp she grasped onto the saddle her stomach churning and head spinning searching frantically for traction.

“He was  _ killed _ .” No dehydration, starvation or natural cause of death. There was a significance to the fact he had been killed but not eaten. Leigh Anne’s brain was waving a host of red flags and a mental siren was going on somewhere in the back. She fumbled with his mane eager to get away.

The sad, surreal gloom of the atmosphere was suddenly colored in a horrific light. Her mind was reeling and sliding, she thought of the creature killed by arrows and its grinning jaws, her flailing with a snow shovel as they dove and slashed out back in the blizzard. She thought of their claws and teeth - were they responsible for this man’s death? Was he Schatzi’s mysterious rider? Whatever the case she really needed to get back to Louisa now more than ever not just for her sake, but the locals needed to know there was a dead man and dangerous animals in the Black Forest -

A deep, bone-chilling shudder prickled up her spine as her backside settled slowly back into the saddle. Schatzi felt it too as his head was up and his ears were straight and turning back. 

...then there was that smell.

Oddly enough it first made Leigh Anne think of the musky smell back the den and then her bowels turned watery with realization. Had the bones belonged to those creatures? Had she slept in one of their dens? 

Twigs were breaking, mud squelching the she heard panting and a shuddering breath that sounded an awful lot like soft, giddy laughter. Her back straightened as the hair on her limbs stood on end and she went green in the face.

Leigh Anne once pet-sat for a neighbor, the one who kept her front lawn so orderly one would never suspect the chaos within. Once she stepped inside her senses were assaulted by the rancid odor of ammonia and the sight of unwashed laundry, numerous containers of moldy dog biscuits and a kitchen barely recognizable through the haphazardous stacks of dirty dishes and piles of cat feces solidifying to the tiled floor. It was a domain of filth and festering waste.

This is what she thought of now as her nose itched, her eyes burned and she gasped for air through her mouth.

“Schatzi,” her voice quivered. She and Schatzi felt frozen in place like prey knowing there was no point in running, the predator was close enough and death would follow shortly after. The unknown creature’s hot breath hit the back of her, the smell of it like burning rot. In her peripheral vision Leigh Anne thought she saw the bright eyes of her neighbor’s cats meowing for attention and attention when in reality more creatures were gathering. 

Leigh Anne jabbed her heels hard into Schatzi’s sides, pushing him forward with a terrified shriek.

“ _ GO!!! _ ”

* * *

For the second time in two days Schatzi flew around winding paths she couldn’t see. Whether he was cleverly dodging obstacles or taking lucky guesses was beyond her. All Leigh Anne knew was if they survived this nightmarish trek through the Black Forest she would make up for jabbing him so hard by feeding him all the sweet things good for horses right before he would get colic. She would also never ask for an adventure again.

Unlike the last time there was no light to speed of but instead of a white blizzard there was black darkness. She didn’t even bother raising her arm to protect her fact. Unlike last time Schatzi only had to outrun several small creatures, this time she knew he was going to have to outrun and outsmart a significantly bigger creature and its pack of minions.

Behind them the creature large creature noisily barreled through what Schatzi evaded, its panting stinking the air with its pungent breath.

Heart racing Leigh Anne grabbed Schatzi by the mane and urged Schatzi on the best she could. At some point she felt they transitioned from thoughtlessly galloping to strategizing. 

“Left!” Leigh Anne screamed and surprisingly Schatzi flew left avoiding a group of close-knit trees. The large creature howled and she heard it ram into them, leaves fell gracelessly around them.

Two beady eyes glowing like two burning coals in the undergrowth were right behind them at her heels, but she couldn’t make out the rest of her pursuer. She imagined the dead one miles back with three arrows plunged in its gut, vaguely remembered its stringy limbs and shark teeth and not much else.

Without her arm trees swiped at her face, one gouged deeply into her cheek right below her left eye. When on came perilously close to her she ducked down as far as she could without smacking into Schatzi’s bouncing back. She felt the creature close in and snap at her right boot, she struck back at it with all her might but immediately regretted her bold move. Schatzi came too close to a large tree at the second and her leg thwacked and bounced off of it tearing a scream from her throat.

Her right leg throbbed and shot white-hot pain up her body. She tried to touch it and hold it down but the jarring thud of Schatzi’s gallop made it impossible. Leigh Anne knew she was crying now as she was forced to put her hand back on the saddle and hold on tightly as Schatzi veered to avoid another creature. The large brute had lost some ground at the tree grove, but she could still hear it yards away.

Leigh Anne gritted her teeth, fear and pain at the forefront of her mind. The agony of her leg was making her heave and sob mostly at the same time. She wasn’t even watching the forest blur around her. Somehow there was enough room for a sliver of determination as she managed to ignore the pain long enough to adjust her weight and lean forward.

“Faster, Schatzi!” The silver horse managed to pick up his speed, but for how much longer? Horses couldn’t manage a hard gallop for long periods of time without consequences and by this point they had been running fast and hard for some time now. 

Without realizing it the trees began to change in shape and size. Schatzi was no longer pushing through brambles and coarse shrubbery, the mud that had been flying out from beneath his hooves stopped as they upon more solid ground. Leigh Anne could make out subtle rays of moonlight, giving the passing moss-covered rocks a glowing touch.

_ There are worse places to die I suppose,  _ she thought with more ease she deeply uncomfortable with. When had her head lowered? How had she not fallen off Schatzi yet? She thought of Louisa, Grandma and Grandpa and even Hans. How lucky was she to have met them?

Leigh Anne didn’t get more of a chance to appreciate the new scenery as more creatures slithered out of the shadows and joined their pack maktes in the chase. Schatzi let out a bellow that was more of a battle cry than a terrified shriek. These creatures were really something to keep up with his wild dash for so long, but now Schatzi was beginning to slow.

A leap forced Leigh Anne out of her anguished reverie when Schatzi had to clear the giant root of a large tree she could only imagine was a leafy sequoia. His landing brought her hurt leg back down on his flank and she hissed, she tasted blood. She had never jumped before and the next leap nearly unseated her. With each bound Leigh Anne’s fear rose and fell sharply in her stomach. There was no grace, no showmanship flare, her hands clenched the saddle in a white-knuckled grip. She was positive her adrenaline-fueled strength would give out any second and she would fly off.

The thought of all those teeth falling upon her urged her to stay on and hold tight.

_ No, I will not fall. _ A gust of wind picked up and thunder rumbled. Leigh Anne thought briefly, poetically even, that she and Schatzi were flying through the seasons from winter to spring. A rumble from the sky shook the ground and the trees’ high canopies swayed with the night-storm.

The creatures, definitely some terrifying combination of a boar and wolf had come up on their left and one chanced a lunge at Schatzi’s exposed flank.

Something whistled past Leigh Anne’s ear and struck the beast down. She saw it violently twist and fall off to the side and another on her right suffered the same fate. Belatedly she realized they were arrows felling the creatures and more flew overhead and shot more of them down from up in the branches of the trees.

Leigh Anne craned her neck to spot one of the archers, but they were nowhere to be seen. The only hint to their location being the arrow flashing from the area. Now thinking this might be another threat to their life Leigh Anne flattened herself against Schatzi as they surged on, but his speed was slowing and she could feel his heavy breathing.

More arrows whistled past and a great howl rose up and vanished. Schatzi slowed significantly after the last small creature was shot down. He may have felt the danger had passed or maybe he simply tired out, but Leigh Anne wasn’t quite ready to let her guard down. Heaving Schatzi’s pace diminished to a trot then disregarding her nudges he fell into a walk, his fur shined with perspiration. The chase left her panting and sweating in her heavy coat. Again she looked for the unknown archers, she twisted in her saddle to be sure the creatures were dead but hissed once more in pain from her leg.

“Hello?” she called out more meekly than she intended, wary of being attacked by a new enemy.

Schatzi stopped with a jolt in an area clear of roots when she saw the archers emerge from the shadows, bows pulled back tight with arrows aimed not at Schatzi to her surprise, but entirely on her. Her breathing hitched, her heart pounding even louder in her ears. Her eyesight was beginning to blur and she hoped it was her glasses and not the lack of food and water getting to her.

_ You have got to be kidding me,  _ Leigh Anne noticed there were about half a dozen men and women dressed in the same garb as the dead man she found earlier but in various shades of greens, browns and grays. They all wore their hair long and fashioned their ears into tips.

_ Like elves, _ Leigh Anne thought, but kept her opinions to herself. She saw what these arrows did to those creatures, crazy cosplayers or not those weapons were real.

One of them finally spoke, but in a language not in English and, she was sure, was not German. He did not have an arrow drawn by a bow was in his hand and a full quiver was strapped to his back. Leigh Anne gave him a quizzical look and he seemed to reassess her before speaking again, this time in fluid English.

“Who are you and why do you ride that horse?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a long chapter, but I REALLY wanted to get to that point she meets Haldir. Now the real fun will start! Thank you to everyone for the kudos! Let me know what you think in the comments! I really do look forward to any thoughts others have toward my work! Now I am going to bed! Happy holidays!


	6. Can't Deny Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne goes to war with her own logic.

[ ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPGLkn4G6KxEKB1px8k0UpeM_CmV4idWjqhqANpQxRu-fe0PBKLLAzaic8per_E3w?key=ZGQ2Q2hnWUMtckRBV1k0RlFBeVNNZXJRaWVMeFhR&source=ctrlq.org)

The wind seemed to have died entirely and no one moved. It was so quiet Leigh Anne was too self-conscious to clear her throat and swallowed instead. Hesitantly Leigh Anne found and caught his gaze. She couldn’t make out the color from this distance and much of his face was in shadow, in fact all Leigh Anne could make out in the gathering darkness was the glimmer of his silvery hair.

_ He must be the leader.  _ She thought and with a shaky breath managed to garner some remaining bits of courage.

“My name is Leigh Anne, um, I found Schatzi - the horse - um,”  _ stop saying ‘um’ !  _ Leigh Anne shot a nervous glance at all the drawn arrows, the sharp points glinted even in the dark. She continued. “We’re lost. We’re not dangerous - at all.” 

The pain in her leg had dwindled down to an ache, but even the slightest movement made a sharp pain shooting up to her hip and Leigh Anne gritted her teeth. She leaned forward in the saddle slightly in hopes of alleviating it.

The archers seemed to be statues and she felt more than saw the hostile suspicion in their stares.

_ I’m among crazy people.  _ Leigh Anne wanted to laugh this off, it would be better than crying - infinitely better. Why were they suspicious of  _ her _ ? She and Schatzi were  _ fleeing _ those creatures. Then a thought struck her: was Schatzi  _ their _ horse? The saddlebags with the green felt-like material and three-leaf motif seemed to match up with elf cosplay. Had these people been in the Black Forest this entire time? 

Her head hurt and her nerves were making her feel sick.

“I didn’t steal him, he came to me and let me ride him.” She pointed out swiftly. At this the leader shifted his weight and where there was pale shadow pulled into a thoughtful frown. He said a few words in that foreign language, words she couldn’t comprehend the beginning or end of and sounded oddly soft without being demanding. Whatever he said sent a ripple of incredulity through the group and with a sigh of relief the leader gestured for the archers to lower their arrows.

Schatzi nickered as he stretched out his neck. Slowly the leader approached and raised his hand palm out to which Schatzi pressed his nose into it, his nostrils flaring than deflating. Leigh Anne felt the horse relax beneath her. She wasn’t sure what to make of this, but it seemed very reasonable her assumption was correct. Schatzi belonged to them.

“Schatzi?” the man repeated the name back at her, the German word sounding strangely harsh, but natural, coming from him.

“It means ‘sweetheart’ in German.” Leigh Anne said feeling her face flush although she didn’t know why. Up close, she still couldn’t make out most of the man’s features, but his hair was long and tied back at the (pointed) ears. His eyes were dark and they caught her gaze directly. Her mouth felt dry and she refused to express the growing discomfort that was the burning agony in her leg. A sweat was threatening to build along her temples.

A glance around revealed the archers regarding her still with some suspicion and had not looked away from her for a second. They didn’t even seem to blink or fidget. They stood with bow ready to fire. Just in case.

“German?” He repeated, he caught her looking at his fellow archers. He removed his hand from Schatzi and took a step around him toward her. The move was achingly fluid or maybe it seemed that way to Leigh Anne. “I have traveled far and had not heard of such a language.”

_ He’ll probably say he’s never heard of English before either.  _ Leigh Anne frowned.

“We know this horse as Silvrendir.” He added on.

“Then do you know his owner?” Leigh Anne asked feeling surprisingly comforted in this soft-spoken conversation. The man’s eyes, now she could see were a pale blue, never left her own making her anxiety catch even as her body grew weary. Schatzi swiveled his head over and snorted. Leigh Anne sent out a mental thank you to him as the man turned to him, breaking their staring contest.

“You say he let you ride him?” he turned back to her, his gaze as unflinching as before. She nodded firmly.

“He sort of bowed down, there were a bunch of the creatures attacking us. I rode him a couple times before that too.” She felt she had to say under the man’s thorough scrutiny.

“The Mearas are not owned, they come and go as they please as they are wild.” His eyes flicked to Schatzi’s face who stood easy and relaxed. 

_ Mearas? _

“Their intelligence, speed and strength are greater than that of a normal horse. You might have noticed.” To this Leigh Anne nodded, he was definitely taller and heavier than Brandy and Dirk. He gave those creatures quite the chase as well.

“He chose Gannon and chose to wear the saddle he crafted for him.” He further enlightened her.

“Gannon?” Leigh Anne repeated dread snagging in her gut.

“His rider.” The man gave Leigh Anne an inquisitive look. “You have the trust of a Mearas and that alone warrants our own for the time being. I would like to learn more of how you came across Silvrendir and possibly what became of Gannon.”

“He wouldn’t happen to have brown hair did he?” Leigh Anne asked reluctantly, then she forced herself to play along. “Was he also an elf?”

The man’s face darkened and Leigh Anne regretted saying anything as his eyes narrowed and in response the archers stiffened without a word or motion from him.

“He wore a gray cloak like mine and always wore his wife’s locket.” He pointed out bluntly, Leigh Anne’s tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth.

“Is this it?” She felt into her coat pocket and fingered the arrowhead (it is identical, she realized numbly, to the arrows of the archers) until she pulled out the pendant sans chain. In the darkness the emerald shone dimly, her gloved hand shook slightly as the man took it from her.

The archers and Leigh Anne watched as the leader examined the leaf pendant until he opened it. The lock of red hair unfurled gently and she could see his jaw clench. His eyes had gone shrewd and almost glared up at her.

“You seem guilty of something.” His voice was almost a whisper, but did not lack authority.

“I may be guilty of finding him dead.” Against her wishes her eyes blurred and she bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.

“Back there, in a clearing where the creatures found us.” Leigh Anne managed to say and that sorrow she felt so deeply at seeing the dead man slithered into every scratch and ache in her body. Everything, not just her leg, just  _ hurt _ . 

“I know it sounds crazy, but I think Schatzi recognized him.” She nodded to the horse who lowered his head. The man did not move, she could not keep his gaze and looked away feeling feeling grimy and a little guilty.

_ For what?  _ Her mother’s voice chided and tears slid down Leigh Anne’s face.

_ I’ve never had to tell someone their friend’s dead. _ Who else could that man possibly be back in the woods?

“I found the pendant in a tree hollow.” It was important, she thought suddenly, they know she did not pilfer the pendant from a dead man’s body. It explained the near savage look on the man’s face - he thought her a thief.

“A tree hollow.” he said brusquely. It didn’t sound like a question.

“It looked like it caught fire, but I didn’t know it until morning because it was dark. There were dead bears-”

“Those were not bears.” He blinked, finally. Without looking at it he closed the pendant gently.

“Are you certain you saw this elf?” He pressed suddenly. Leigh Anne, startled, nodded.

“He-he was torn open here,” she pointed to her own chest and stomach. “There was nothing…” She trailed off and looked away once more.

The blond man paused briefly then faced three of his archers. With an unseen gesture from him the three raced away and down the trampled path Leigh Anne and Schatzi had come. They were swift and Leigh Anne marveled as she turned in her saddle when they vanished into the dark depths of the old forest. She was now left with the leader and two other archers and a dawning realization that she may not be where she thought she was.

_ There’s a dead man and they haven’t broken out of character at all. _ No one mentioned calling the authorities or calling an ambulance. Nothing. Leigh Anne scrutinized her surroundings as the leader spoke softly to the remaining archers in that incomprehensible language. The trees here, she noticed, were tall and reminded her of redwoods. The night made the canopy a seamless mass of black above her blocking out the elements and the stars. There were no branches to be seen so where had the archers perched and where were the footholds and ladders necessary to scale such heights?

_ What is going on?  _ Leigh Anne grasped her leg as another spasm of pain seized her.

Below mushrooms clustered between moss-covered rocks. Pebbles and feathery ferns served as invasive ground cover. There was no hint of winter except for the cool air. Leigh Anne could only make out her immediate surroundings where moonlight dripped, everything else diminished into the gloom.

When the hushed talking ceased the leader approached her side. Leigh Anne saw the tips of his ears through the strands of his hair and she couldn’t help but shake her head. She ached to find even a trace of faulty make-up, but saw no blemishes, cracks or lines in his ears or hairline. His extensions were flawless and no hint of stubble to be found. 

_ Then again,  _ she inwardly huffed,  _ it IS dark. _ Daylight should reveal the mistakes.

His expression remained professionally devoid of emotion as he spoke.

“Can you stand?”

She thought it was an odd question to ask, but thought if he wanted to do the elven equivalent of arresting her as a possible accomplice to the death of his friend he would need her off the horse to go about it. 

“Can you stand?” when she didn’t respond right away he repeated himself but spoke a little slower. His clear patience made her second-guess his intentions.

_ Maybe he thinks I don’t understand him now,  _ she chuckled. Probably now thinking her crazy he motioned not to the ground demanding she comply but questionably at her aching calf.

“Oh.” She grimaced. “Is it bad?” It had to be if he could see it with her pant-leg down. 

“The flight through the forest had injured you, do you not feel it?” he asked with some concern it convinced Leigh Anne she wasn’t about to be arrested - yet. Now that someone else was focused on it her leg began to get worse, Leigh Anne prayed it wasn’t broken. This was the last place she could imagine getting proper treatment. As the last dredges of adrenaline left her system completely she fought tears of a different nature.

_ I’m surprised I have any water left to cry,  _ Leigh Anne became acutely aware of how drained she is. 

“I guess-” her breath hitched when she stifled a sob, “-I guess when I banged it against the tree I hurt it more than I thought.” She clammed up quick when she really just wanted to make light of it. Leigh Anne didn’t know this side of herself, she had never been given the chance until now. Right now all she could think about was the pain and not letting it show. Not in front of a stranger.

_ Keep it together. _ She thought of her old job, the gray walls and colorless desk. She wanted to scream, but she plugged on.

The ends of her threads were fraying.

The man shook his head, his hair (longer than her own Leigh Anne thought in hopes of distracting herself) flashed gold and silver. Behind his ears she saw tiny, but intricate braids.

“We will have to tend to that before attempting to cross the Celebrant.” The man spoke swiftly to one of the remaining archers again. The elf rushed onward ahead into the forest and simply slid away blending in with the trees. The leader looked up at Leigh Anne once more.

“It will be best you remain on Silvrendir a while longer until we meet with a healer at the stream.” He said and then he put his hand to his chest.

“I am Haldir, a march warden of Lothlorien.” His gaze was intense, but gentle.

“Nice to meet you.” She said for lack of anything else to say. Compared to finding a dead man and scary creatures she sounded as honest as she felt. Leigh Anne frowned. “We’re in Lothlorien? I’ve never heard of it. Where exactly is it in the Black Forest?”

The leader, Haldir, gave a slight tilt of his head. His hair shifting and sliding up one shoulder. She looked back at his face to find him staring at her skeptically.

“You are of Men, so that is not surprising.” He replied, but the way he spoke only created more questions and Leigh Anne wasn’t sure if she should be offended or not.

_ Of Men? _

He cast her another strange look then seemed to decide something. He pressed a hand to Schatzi’s -  _ Silvrendir _ , she corrected herself - neck and began to lead them along the unseen forest floor. She worried that Silvrendir would trip over a root, but he and Haldir made their way easily enough. Quietly the remaining elven archer slipped away into the darkness and Leigh Anne willed her heartbeat to slow down.

Leigh Anne gnawed on her bottom lip, her mind scrambling.

“Shouldn’t we call the police about your friend?” she blurted out.

“Police?” he gave her another questioning look not unlike the one before. “What other words in the Common Speech do you know that I do not?”

_ So that’s what you call English then. _ He almost seemed amused, but the news of a possible dead comrade suppressed anything further. 

“The law enforcement? The authorities?” She felt dumb describing them and more than a little annoyed this man kept playing charades at her expense. 

“We do not have these police as you call them,” he said, “we have the guard and the march wardens if you’re referring to a form of security.”

“Oh.” Leigh Anne shifted in her seat trying to ignore the pain, Silvrendir snorted.

“Where is Lothlorien located?” she tried again and at this Haldir frowned.

“Across the Celebrant, is is a rare thing indeed for an outsider to be allowed access,” he answered and cast Leigh Anne a glance back, obviously he was not willing to explain more than that. 

“If the Lord and Lady allow you access, I have sent a scout ahead to see what they think and decide.” Leigh Anne shook her head.

_ Lord and Lady? He’s probably taking me to their cult headquarters. I wonder if they’ll blindfold me at some point.  _ She thought as she pushed back a strand of hair out of her face. She winced at the feel of her hair haphazardly pulled back in a messy bun now loose from the dash.

“What country?” she clarified, he appeared confused.

“I am leading you to a border camp, but our Lord and Lady dwell deep within Lorien. We are east of the Misty Mountains with the Anduin along our opposite border.” Then he added, “we reside in Middle Earth.”

Leigh Anne clenched her teeth together, yelling at him to take her injury seriously and the death of someone didn’t feel right - Haldir’s reaction to both were sincere. Yet why continue to play this game of elves? As Haldir and Silvrendir padded along the ground grew flatter and grass began to appear in thick patches. The canopy was opening up bit by bit.

Leigh Anne mentally skimmed through the guidebooks she had read while living in Germany. She tried to recall the historical details Louisa enjoyed sharing with her then oddly her thoughts veered toward the books on fairy tales and connected lovers in her little room. Now more than ever she could imagine little goblins in the undergrowth, the fairies sitting dreamily in the high-up branches and ghosts flitting noiselessly between the trees. 

Somewhere out there were a different sort of goblin - those things were very,  _ very  _ real.

Leigh Anne stares intensely at Haldir’s hand on Silvrendir’s neck. From his nails, down his hand, along his arm, they gray cloak swaying gently with his steps to those pointed ears.

“You’re not cosplaying are you?” Leigh Anne asked a little desperation seeping through.

“I have never heard of the term, may I inquire to its meaning?” again he appeared amused, as if  _ he _ were the sane one and Leigh Anne is crazy. She didn’t necessarily think he was mocking her more like humoring her. The way he tilted an eyebrow in her direction or the way his mouth twitched, it was probably how she looked when he told her Schatzi’s actual name was Silvrendir and that had a lord and a lady to refer to. 

She made a face at the thought.

_ I am not crazy.  _ She thought firmly.

_ “Are you certain?”  _ her father’s voice joked vapishly.

“People who dress up as characters from a story,” she humored back. Leigh Anne wanted to snap, but refrained from doing so. Any strong emotions would push her over the edge. Instead she watched him for a reaction. She watched for a wink, any sign that he was pulling her unhurt leg and he was actually taking her to an ambulance the scout had gone ahead and called. She was waiting for him to tell her she stumbled upon a reenactment of some old story and she would get mad but not for long. He seemed nice, maybe not the brightest, she wouldn’t mind if he visited her in the hospital.

Nothing. No wink, no low chuckle or a whisper to confirm all those thoughts.

“I think it is my turn to question your origins, Lady Leigh Anne.” She blinked at the title he suddenly gave her and did not forget to note he dodged her question.

Was that an answer though? A nod to reassure her reality was a few more yards away on a hidden paved road?

“I currently live in Germany, but I’m originally from the US.” Leigh Anne watched as blatant confusion rippled across the man’s face. Ahead Leigh Anne could make out the sound of rushing water, he had mentioned the healer would be at a stream. Were they close to it? Was there an ambulance? She didn’t hear any sirens or the excited murmur of a search party happy they are near the end of their vigilance.

“Those do not sound familiar. They wouldn’t happen to be the names of small villages? Are they near Yew Town? Gondor?” 

_ Gondor? Yew Town? _ More terms from some fantasy-land, Leigh Anne shook her head.  _ He’s not breaking character for anything. _

“Does Baden-Baden sound familiar? Berlin?” He shook his head.

“The US is across the Atlantic Ocean,” she said, nearing the end of her patience. She was tired and hungry and the ire was burning hotter than the pain in her leg. If he didn’t bend soon she might attempt to rip the wig off his head.

At this Haldir stopped as did Silvrendir, he turned and locked Leigh Anne in an intense stare. Here the moonlight was stronger as the tree tops were slimmer. 

“You have seen the ocean? Even sailed across it?” The intensity he possessed caught Leigh Anne off guard.

“Y-Yes,” she said. His eyes lit up, something in his face opened and Leigh Anne faltered. Then he seemed to remember himself, whatever opened shuttered shut and the light in his eyes withdrew.

“Let us hurry to the healer,” he said a second later as he regained his professional demeanor.

_ I’m never going to get answers around here that are going to make sense am I? _ Haldir continued to lead Silvrendir along and left Leigh Anne alone with her thoughts.

The stream called Celebrant came into view several minutes later. The rain from the storm had sped up the current. Beyond the rushing water was a shore of willowy trees shrouded in night’s blanket, but they were nonetheless beautiful. If that was the direction Haldir intended to take her she couldn’t fathom how they would cross it unless there was a bridge and she didn’t see one either way she looked. When a bridge failed to come up she look for a boat but didn’t see one.

Off to the side sitting on the jutting lip of a squat boulder where Leigh Anne didn’t see her at first was a slender woman. Alas she also had pointed ears, but her hair was dark, a burnished red in the moonlight. Leigh Anne immediately thought of the leaf pendant and the red hair within it but thought better of it. This was all an act after all.

As if to herald her sudden appearance Leigh Anne felt a gentle breeze lift off the water that made her shiver despite her warm coat, the cool light of the moon only made her feel colder. She licked her dry lips as she nervously regarded the newcomer as she stood. Unlike Haldir, Leigh Anne’s jumpy nerves made her start and her breath hitched, he gave her a discreet glance.

The woman quietly stepped forward in a shimmery gray gown with slits in the side for better mobility, her fee clad in silent silver slippers.

“I am Triwathiel, a Lorien healer. I was told to come meet you at Haldir’s urgent request.” The tips of her ears went in and out of existence with the soft sway of her hair. Also unlike Haldir there were a greater number of braids in her hair and some were laced with metal beads. In her presence Leigh Anne became even more aware of her injury and her plaid pajama pants coated in mud.

“Do you require assistance?” Haldir offered as he gestured for her to dismount. Still momentarily distracted by the elf woman Leigh Anne realized a little late she was staring and snapped to face Haldir with barely concealed embarrassment.

“I should be fine,” Leigh Anne said hoping to diffuse some of her mortification. Regardless he stood just a little distance away probably because he thought Leigh Anne was unaware of just how injured she was.

Leigh Anne wasn’t thinking about her leg, she was wondering if there were side-effects about those mushrooms she chanced eating earlier that day.

Haldir was right to stay close. Thinking of pajamas and mushrooms she slid out of the saddle as she normally would and braced for impact and forgot to mindful of her injured leg. Her feet hit the ground, she felt a thousand needles stab her leg and she let out a cry that almost turned into a scream. Leigh Anne’s hands grabbed Silvrendir’s saddle hard and the horse turned his head to investigate. Belatedly Leigh Anne realized there were hands on her waist holding her through the bulk of her coat.

Why did her brain, in this moment, decide to remind her she wasn’t wearing a bra? How was that  _ in any way _ helpful?

“Your leg is swollen below the knee.” Haldir’s voice was right in her ear. His hands were strong but light enough to refrain from pushing down on her leg.

“I didn’t think I hit the tree  _ that _ hard!” Leigh Anne choked out and couldn’t suppress a whimper. She allowed Haldir to help her hobble over to a grassy spot on the ground where she, with his help, managed to sit. 

There in the moonlight Triwathiel helped her straighten out her leg, the pain now nearing unbearable from the jostling and hard impact Leigh Anne didn’t have it in her to be embarrassed as she peeled away the pajama pant-leg. Even with the moonlight how well could she see? Leigh Anne thought of her flashlight app then remembered her phone was dead.

“I do not believe you fully comprehend what a Mearas can do. At the great speed Silvrendir galloped at to what might have been a harmless hit that would leave only bruising might actually have fractured your bone, possibly even broken in.” Haldir explained in a soft tone as Triwathiel’s hands hovered over Leigh Anne’s lower leg. Now revealed above the boot her calf was swollen and changed colors. When Triwathiel’s hands grew too close Leigh Anne cried out.

“ _ Don’t touch it! _ I need to get to a hospital!” Leigh Anne gasped, this was more than she could take. The acting had to stop  _ now _ !

At her outburst Triwathiel smile gently with matronly patience.

“I need a  _ professional _ !” Leigh Anne was nearly crying now, Haldir had a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady.

“Look, I get this is a big deal to you but I’m pretty sure my leg is  _ broken _ and I need you to get me to an ambulance. I’m sorry I stumbled into your reenactment or whatever, but please take me home!” 

_ Home. _

_ What home? _

The hand on her shoulder gave it a squeeze.

“You are safe here.” He assured her quietly but he might as well have shouted for the effect his words had on her.

Leigh Anne saw the concern in Triwathiel’s vibrant gaze. She looked Leigh Anne’s age, but somehow she knew she was far older. When Leigh Anne didn’t make another sound Triwathiel revealed the palm of her hands.

“I am not my Lady Galadriel or Lord Elrond,” she said demurely, “but I am skilled in healing spells.”

Leigh Anne nearly fell into hysterics, but managed to only croak.

“Healing spells?”  _ They’re not getting it -  _

“You need to relax, we will not cause further pain.” Haldir advised her as Silvrendir walked over to press his soft nose to Leigh Anne’s face, something cold sat between his fur and her skin. She hadn’t realized she had been crying. Both of Haldir’s hands were pressing down on her shoulders gently, they trembled but Leigh Anne realized it wasn’t him, it was her.

The tears stopped more out of surprise than lack of pain when she saw what Triwathiel began to do. A faint glimmering light that came from her hands then flowed through the space to be absorbed into her leg. 

It seemed whatever rational thought and what she knew of the physical world imploded as her leg painlessly, with only the lightest sensation of pressure, began to mend before her eyes. The swelling receded and the pain followed shortly after as the bone slipped back into alignment then knitted together beneath Triwathiel’s magical hands.

English, Spanish, German, the Common Tongue - all speech failed Leigh Anne as Triwathiel finished and when she bent her knee it felt entirely better. Her mouth opened to thank Triwathiel, but something else came out instead.

“What was that?” it was breathless, not as cagey as she thought she sounded.

Triwathiel gave a wistful laugh as she rocked back on her heels at Leigh Anne’s bewildered surprise.

“It’s what you might call magic.” 

Leigh Anne struggled to process that before managing to form a coherent thought.

“Thank you,” she finally managed to say. “I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that. Was that CGI?”

Another laugh from Triwathiel and she saw the she-elf glance over her shoulder in what she imagined them exchanging silent information. She felt Haldir give a slight shrug through his hands on her shoulders.

“She says many strange things,” Haldir let the amusement leak into his voice that still seemed so close to her ear.

“I should be the one thanking you,” Triwathiel said with a touch of sad yearning, “I have heard you may have learned the fate of my dearest Gannon.”

Leigh Anne swallowed, she felt one of Haldir’s hands more prominently now on her shoulders. She was grateful for it, after that display she still felt wobbly and didn’t trust herself to sit up on her own.

“Um…” Leigh Anne tried to look at Haldir. It hurt to think about, but Triwathiel must have been Gannon’s wife. She thought of the man in the clearing, they probably looked beautiful together. 

“I rather wait until my scouts return,” Haldir said.

“I understand, but you will let me know as soon as they return?” Triwathiel smiled sadly at Leigh Anne.

“We live long lives and the years pass swiftly, but without news of a loved one who may be hurting the days slow.” With care Triwathiel returned unrolled the pajama leg back down. Her bereft expression tugged at Leigh Anne’s already fragile heartstrings. Haldir offered his hand and this time she took it. When she did get to her feet she didn’t let go.

“Let me get this straight,” Leigh Anne took a deep breath before continuing, “correct me if I am wrong and believe me I hope I am, but you guys are elves…?”

“Was that a question or a statement?” Haldir raised an eyebrow at her. Leigh Anne refused to be distracted because now that she was no longer in pain or feeling threatened she found he was attractive.

“Yes or no?” she pressed as she stifled a flare of irritation. “A straight answer please?”

“Yes.” He confirmed complying to her wishes. Triwathiel went to Silvrendir to stroke his face. Both side-eyeing the exchange.

“We are in a place called Middle Earth?”

“Yes.”

“Where people use magic?”

“Not everyone, it is a skill few have although it is more commonplace within elven realms.” He regarded Leigh Anne curiously trying to figure out where this conversation was going.

“And you have never heard of Germany? The United States?” When he shook his head head Leigh Anne kept on. “What about McDonalds? Hamburgers? JK Rowling?” she paused, “ _ Disney World? _ ”

“I would question whether Triwathiel needs to examine your head, but your clothes are odd enough to warrant some truth to your words. The material...I’ve never felt anything like it and nothing you wear matches the styles of Men.” Haldir reached over with his free arm to finger the coat sleeve of her free arm. For a moment they stood face to face in silent contemplation then his hand dropped back to his side.

“I wonder what the Lord and Lady of Lorien will make of you?” he wondered softly.

“One more question,” Leigh Anne braced herself, “are there more than elves here? Are there humans?”

“Yes, there are dwarves, halflings, giant spiders-”

“That works.” Haldir blinked.

“Thank you for your time,” Leigh Anne, with his hand still in her grasp, shook it with the conclusion of a done deal further confusing Haldir. She released his hand then turned to Triwathiel.

“Thank you again for your help, seriously, it feels brand new.” 

“What are you…?” Haldir trailed off as Leigh Anne began walking back whence they came, not turning to look back with purpose in her stride. Haldir turned to look at Triwathiel who only shrugged looking as baffled as he felt. When Haldir peered over at Silvrendir the horse snorted then lowered his head to nibble at the grass.

_ I must have fallen from the horse and hit my head during the storm, I’m not actually here.  _ Leigh Anne thought very meticulously as she picked her way among the roots, her face clear of doubt.

_ I’m actually in the hospital now where I lie in a deep coma dreaming of a land of elves and dwarves from a book I never read, a movie I never watched. How many movies are there anyway? Two? A strange pick if I may say so, of all worlds I could be plugged into I would have chosen Harry Potter, but sure, whatever, Lord of the Rings isn’t that bad and my dream is full of nice elves. All in all could have been worse, monsters I could have done without. Still rather have learned what house I would actually have been sorted into though… _

Leigh Anne now came into the clearing where the elves had confronted her, she paused when she spotted a mound of patchy gray skin and black fur off to the side. An arrow shaft wedged into its head.

_ Kudos to my brain,  _ she thought,  _ all that fine 4K resolution-worthy detail. I wonder if I’ll remember any of this when I wake up. _

_ If I wake up. _

“Wait.” She jumped and let out an undignified squeak when someone cleared their throat behind her, she whipped around to find Haldir had followed her.

“No need to follow me Haldir, I’ll be fine.” She casually waved him off.

_ Maybe if I think hard enough I can imagine Hogwarts, isn’t that called lucid dreaming? _

“I believe it was my intention to bring you into Lothlorien to meet with my sovereigns,” he said slowly.

“I’ll remember you in therapy, Haldir.” Leigh Anne said feeling goofy. Before her Haldir took a cautious step toward her, she could barely make out his hands from beneath the long gray cloak he wore. He regarded her carefully as one would regard a skittish doe and Leigh Anne’s face warmed.

“It is not safe to roam these woods alone and unarmed.” He pointed out carefully.

“I’m not from here,” Leigh Anne blurted out, gesturing to her clothes. “Scha- _ Silvrendir _ and I came from there! So that’s where I’m going.”

_ This can’t be real! _

“I believe you,” Haldir put out a reassuring hand much like how he approached Silvrendir in the clearing when she knew him as Schatzi the silver horse stealing apples from the larder. She felt the tightness in her chest release little by little.

“Stranger things have occurred in this world.” Haldir said with a dismissive shrug. “If the Lord and Lady believe your story you will find no greater aid in returning to your land. The Lady of Lorien in particular is highly gifted in the magical arts and very wise.”

Leigh Anne still didn’t feel sure and it must have shown on her face.

“If that does not convince you, you have my promise. The word of a Lorien march warden that no harm will come to you within Lorien’s borders.” He put his hand to his chest and Leigh Anne looked back at down the path she and Silvrendir fled from danger. Now the moonlit woods were quiet, birds were sleeping and bugs were resting. A breeze blew through and stirred the leaves and branches above, toying with her unravelling auburn locks.

“Will you come with me to Lothlorien?”

She glimpsed another dead creature on the other side of the path, it’s maw stuck out at an odd angle. Rows of sharp teeth glinting in that malicious grin. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she thought then decided. No more tears. 

She took a deep breath and turned then made her way back to Haldir who stood patiently. Leigh Anne refused to make direct eye contact. She didn’t take his hand, but fell in step with him.

“Let us go, morning will be upon us shortly. Hopefully we will receive word soon from Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel.” He stated, when he took the lead Leigh Anne swiftly rubbed at her eyes and wiped her face with the sleeve of her coat and trailed after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Be aware this is going to be slow, I've never been one for insta-love and Leigh Anne is one of the few characters I've ever written with paternal problems and tends to overthink things and isn't used to being touched in an capacity. What would you do if you were sent to Middle-Earth and forced to live among the elves? Would you prefer Lothlorien or Rivendell or Mirkwood?


	7. Bathing and Contemplating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne is finally able to take a bath, thinks about her new circumstances and meets another new friend.

Leigh Anne didn’t remember when she fell asleep but her dreams were full of winding and never-ending forest paths. Fog filled in the edges of her sleep and spilled into the surreal trails snagging onto her pajama pants and boots. Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish stranded on the shore, but no noise would come out. All she could hear was the pounding of her own feet and a faint rumble of thunder gathering momentum behind her.

She woke suddenly to Triwathiel of whom was gently trying to wake her by the arm.

“Leigh Anne,” she whispered, “it is about to storm, we should head out for better shelter.”

Like Haldir she had also taken to formally calling her ‘Lady’ which Leigh Anne was fast to turn down. 

“No need, the storm is turning away.” Haldir’s deeper voice broke through the morning hush.

Leigh Anne sat up and gazed upward at the sky. It was still rather dark with a rising magenta hue against indigo. She rubbed wearily at her eyes before putting her glasses back on and hid a wide yawn behind her hand and winced. Another day roughing it was taking a savage toll on her hygiene and muscles. 

A short distance away stood Silvrendir with his saddle missing. He looked oddly naked without it.

“Why does he stay?” Leigh Anne asked as Silvrendir glanced at her. 

“He stays for you.” Was Haldir’s simple, but remarkable response. Leigh Anne blinked and allowed Triwathiel to help her up by the hand. Prolonged time in the saddle and serious inexperience had riddled her with aches and soreness in places she never anticipated them to be. Her first steps were wobbly and awkward further differentiating herself from the gracefulness of the elves around her.

_ Elves, ha! _She couldn’t deny it now even though she desperately wanted to.

“Morning, Silvrendir.” Leigh Anne greeted the silver horse and his ears rocked back once accompanied by a huff.

“Schatzi?” Leigh Anne tested and the horse’s ears perked forward and she smiled to herself.

“It would seem he favors your name for him.” Triwathiel stepped up next to Leigh Anne, her hand was at her throat fondling (Leigh Anne belatedly noticed) two leaf pendants that came together as one with a noticeable split down the center.

“Any news?” Leigh Anne didn’t have to elaborate and any light on Triwathiel’s face dimmed before her eyes.

“Yes.” Everything was in that single word and Leigh Anne felt like nothing in the presence of Triwathiel’s deep and unsettled misery.

“I’m so sorry.” Leigh Anne managed pitifully.

“We had not known the news long.” She meant herself and Haldir. “I wished to stay to be sure you are no longer in need of my help before attending to my husband’s body.”

Oh, how she was paying for it. Her eyes looked haunted and her grief was palpable. Exactly how long had she waited for Leigh Anne to wake? Why hadn’t she woken her earlier? Leigh Anne was a stranger and the confirmation of Gannon’s death brought her back to the cusp of crying, but Triwathiel was the very image of grace and poise. There was a beauty to her sorrow that made Leigh Anne think of the mournful stone angels that stood vigilant in cemeteries which in turn made her remember Gannon’s peaceful face.

The memory of the bloody and tattered gash Leigh Anne uncovered beneath his cloak made her feel a little green.

“I…” Leigh Anne swallowed her emotions a little longer. “I really appreciate it, but please, don’t worry about me - I’m fine. Really.”

Triwathiel eyed her with a subtle intensity making Leigh Anne antsy. Slowly she raised a hand to cup Leigh Anne’s cheek forcing her to meet her gaze directly.

“Thank you for bringing me closure.” Triwathiel said so quietly Leigh Anne had to lean forward to catch it.

Speechlessly, Leigh Anne nodded.

Without another word Triwathiel’s hand left Leigh Anne’s face making the flesh there feel cold. By way of farewell Triwathiel stroked Schatzi’s faint blaze and touched her forehead to his. To Haldir she only gave a mild tilt of her head before stepping into the surrounding shrubbery and slipping away into the gloom, her red hair shining in the gloom one last time.

Leigh Anne felt a whoosh of air leave her. It hadn’t even been five minutes since she woke and the atmosphere was laden with mourning and guilt. She turned to find Haldir sitting patiently on a boulder his face turned away until he noticed her attention. When he shifted toward her his gray cloak fluttered and to Leigh Anne’s amazement seemed to blend in with the rock.

“Is your cloak magic?” Leigh Anne forced herself to speak through the grief swelling in her chest. She eyed the place she knew the cloak ran from his shoulders, around his arms and over his feet. She noticed it was just a normal gray cloak, but the rock’s texture adhered to what covered his shoes. 

“Yes, march wardens are gifted these cloaks by Lady Galadriel upon their initiation to keep us hidden when we leave Lothlorien. Our tasks often take us away and can be incredibly perilous as you have witnessed.” He spoke slowly like he did before but now Leigh Anne was under the strong impression this was how he normally spoke and wasn’t doing it specifically for her benefit.

She thought once more of Gannon then swallowed.

“What happens now?” Having slept fully for the first time in days Leigh Anne no longer felt tired but grimy and hungry. She also began to fully absorb her puzzling predicament: she was in a fantastical land of elves where intelligent horses called Mearas and monsters roam - where was her place in it? She felt completely uprooted.

_ Are there dragons and orcs too? _She thought bewilderingly.

“Yes,” Haldir answered when she asked the question aloud.

“Oh, that’s lovely.” She said with resignation. 

“I don’t suppose there’s a nearby bath I could use?” Leigh Anne wasn’t too hopeful.

“I imagine you would want to eat first.” He said before sliding down off the rock and landed silently on the dewy grass. Leigh Anne’s stomach rumbled loudly in agreement and she flushed. If Haldir heard he didn’t indicate it which Leigh Anne fully appreciated as he approached revealing a brown bag cinched at the top. Once he was close enough he held it out to her.

“You will have to make do with my provisions until we arrive in Lothlorien.” He said and Leigh Anne’s eyes widened.

“Thank you.” She started. “You’re taking me to your home?” Haldir nodded remaining stoic.

“While you slept I received the permission necessary from the Lord and Lady to bring you.” Then he fixed Leigh Anne with another intense stare. “This is a great honor, it has been a very long time since one of Man stepped inside our realm.”

“I-I really appreciate the hospitality,” Leigh Anne blundered and nervously she fiddled with the cinched bag beneath his unmoving stare. “Um, where is Lothlorien?”

“It will be a few hours to the Celebrant, the Silverlode your people call it, once we start moving then another day or two to reach the innermost city.” He replied placidly then he glanced down at her boots and Leigh Anne became very aware she was still in her flannel pajama bottoms with the vibrant floral pattern caked with dried mud.

“I will take you to a nearby creek if you desire.” He met her eyes once more. “Would you like me to find you another pair of clothes?”

“That would be wonderful.” Leigh Anne sighed trying to shove away every bit of mortification threatening to turn her face into a bright red tomato.

“Then I will turn to finding something of your stature, this way.” He proceeded to walk the short distance to the side of the clearing he brought her to last night. Leigh Anne glanced at Schatzi who pawed the ground lazily before following after them. 

The morning sunlight was spilling through the leaves and with company the forest seemed like a friendlier place. Haldir was silent and more than once outpaced her. This both worried and amused Leigh Anne as every time he vanished and she was about to call out she would find him further along at a stop and waiting patiently. It was clear he was having some difficulty slowing down for her.

“Are all elves fast?” she said trying to break the ice as they passed broad-leaf ferns and whortle-berry bushes. The sun was rising faster and the forest floor was pleasantly dappled with warm light. Behind her she heard Schatzi plod along.

“Yes, we all are.” As Haldir guided her onward more questions bubbled inside Leigh Anne’s head.

“Are there other elven cities?” she asked on.

“A few, not as many as there once were.”

“Why?”

“Many had decided to set sail.” A euphemism for moving on? Leigh Anne then remembered Haldir’s surprise when she mentioned she had crossed the Atlantic Ocean. There was something about elves and the ocean apparently.

Fir trees framed their narrow path and Schatzi’s wide girth scraped against their lower branches. It wasn’t much longer until she heard the faint gurgle of water and Haldir pulled away a tangle of branches to reveal the creek he mentioned. Leigh Anne emerged from the thicket to find this section of the creek spilled over a lip of rock into a deeper pool of water that flowed into a narrow mouth and back into a slender line. 

Leigh Anne stepped closer to the pool and saw it was clear enough to see the sandy bottom. She clutched the bag to her chest and turned to Haldir.

“This place should be safe, we have discovered the creatures dislike water.” Haldir stated swiftly and Leigh Anne realized she hadn’t been primarily concerned about the monsters leaping through the foliage as she should have been. She continued to stare at him.

“Should I wash then come find you for the new clothes or…” He shook his head.

“I will bring them here to you while you bathe.” Leigh Anne felt her face grow hot.

“While I bathe?” she asked incredulously and thought of how clear the water was and reminded herself this man - elf - was still very much a stranger.

At this the corners of Haldir’s mouth twitched up and for a second she thought he was going to laugh.

“I will be swift, you will never know that I am here.” Then he added. “I promise I won’t look.”

Leigh Anne tried to summon a scowl but the effect was ruined when her stomach promptly sounded its displeasure once more. Haldir turned away but not before she spotted the full smile on his face. 

After Haldir had gone Leigh Anne stood questioning whether she was actually about to remove all her clothes and take a dip in a creek of all things. Many thoughts at this moment crossed her mind including whether or not she could forgo a bath until Haldir brought her to the city of Lothlorien and decided against it. If Haldir is the standard of all elves the last thing she wanted was to walk into Lothlorien among pristine people revealing what wild things look like.

Leigh Anne was naturally suspicious of all things male, but disregarded the idea of Haldir being a peeping tom. He was definitely too sincere and professional and had up until this point all the opportunities to act on any impure intentions but hadn’t. Leigh Anne simply didn’t _ feel _ the same hostile suspicion toward him as she would of a human man who _ seemed _ safe.

As Leigh Anne unzipped her coat and left it folded on a nearby log then began unbuttoning her top she allowed the final bits of denial to slip away.

_ Exactly in what way, apart from the ears, are elves and humans different? _Without her mud-laden clothes she felt light and uncomfortably vulnerable. It was perhaps her paranoia that refused to rest that spurred her into the pool faster. It was bitingly cold and it occurred to Leigh Anne there might be snow further up along the creek’s route.

_ I somehow crossed into another world, did I pass through seasons too? _There was a sudden drop between the edge of the pool and the water and Leigh Anne was fully submerged in seconds. Gravity took her head below the surface and she sputtered when she emerged. Despite the cold water she relished the feeling of being cleaned. 

Using her nails she rubbed her scalp and gently untangle the knots. Her toes dug into the sand and pebbles of the pool and she swore she saw a school of tiny fish around her thighs. With a shuddering breath she went underwater once more and resurfaced to find Schatzi nearby. 

The sight of him was surprisingly the boost of confidence she had been craving. Schatzi, who for over a month evaded being seen by all but her and allowed _ her _ of all people to ride him, was standing guard.

“Why did you bring me here, Schatzi?” she asked and he snorted, his withers quivered and his tail swished. Someone, possibly the person who removed his saddle and bags, rubbed him down. He positively shined.

It was debatable to think he _ needed _ someone to help him cross back over to this world but what did she do that no one else could? Why not pick Hans or Louisa who have significantly more riding experience? Maybe it wasn’t even related to horsemanship. Maybe he just liked her treats.

There was still too much her logic couldn’t - or wouldn’t - wrap around.

She was talking to a horse.

She understood he understood her.

She was among elves who could also perform magic.

Funnily enough only the monsters scared her, everything else she just felt overwhelmingly curious about.

_ What is a march warden? _ She tried to glean the dirt from beneath her fingernails and scrubbed her face with the palm of her hands. She settled her face into her hands and stared out at the woods around her. 

Almost like the canopy for a bed the trees provided a sealed cover over the pool, their boughs weaving in and out of the other trees’ branches. There were reeds along one side and near the mouth of the creek watercress gathered. As the air warmed Leigh Anne spotted a pair of bulging frog eyes at one end that splashed away when she waded too close. As the dirt and grime slid away so did her worry.

At least until she went under and came back up to find a tidy stack of clothes _ right there _ on a dry edge that was certainly not there seconds ago. Leigh Anne whirled around trying to see where Haldir had gone but like he said she never noticed him.

_ Elves aren’t just fast. _She grumbled into the water eyeing her surroundings, Schatzi didn’t seem perturbed in the least.

_ They’re too fast. _She scratched a mental note under How Elves Are Different From Humans and became very aware if Haldir thought she was a threat she probably wouldn’t see her death coming. Out of all the other archers present before Haldir had never drawn his own bow, but she imagined he would be quick on drawing it.

Minutes later when she felt like a relatively cold raisin Leigh Anne once more gave her surroundings a cursory look before clutching a rock’s edge. With some effort she pulled herself up and out to be greeted by Schatzi and a towel draped over his back. Leigh Anne gave it a skeptical look.

“_ When _ did you get that?” He didn’t have it seconds before. Schatzi nickered. 

Leigh Anne whipped the towel off his back and wrapped it around herself as quickly as she could. Nothing like magically appearing clothes and towels to put someone on edge in the middle of the forest. 

The air had warmed significantly since she entered the pool and Schatzi stood still as a sort of divider as Leigh Anne dried herself off. She kept herself covered as she examined her new set of clothes noticing her own soiled ones and boots had mysteriously vanished as well. Someone had graciously left her glasses on the neat pile.

_ Do elves need glasses? _It didn’t seem to fit well with their image if they did, but they must have some concept of their use if Haldir left them behind and not her phone and boots. 

_ This is it, I’m joining the cosplay cult. _Leigh Anne thought wryly as she carefully unraveled a tunic not unlike Triwathiel’s. It was a soft shade of green to her seemed almost a match to her own eye color and found herself wondering if it was a coincidence or on purpose. The sleeves were long and practically snug at the cuff. The fabric was smooth strokes one way and coarse the other - a tough material for the outdoors. A pair of leggings the color of deep gray came with it and instead of her hiking boots there were a slim pair with soft, but sturdy soles.

Everything was familiar and Leigh Anne had no trouble with it but she had to stare at what had to be corset.

“Well.” She fingered the leather corset and tried to remember if the female archers wore one, but all she could remember was gray and green and their cloaks. 

“Never had to wear a corset before.” The ties were undone and unlike the Victorian versions that Leigh Anne knew were meant to make the waist smaller this one was for support and looking at the additional belt wasn’t just for aesthetic purposes. Small loops were present on the belt which was adorned with whorls and silhouettes of leaping deer. It reminded Leigh Anne of Grandpa’s wood-crafting skill with the clocks and details in the furniture. This was hand-made, not manufactured in a factory somewhere.

And Haldir was allowing her to wear it.

“This is going to be amusing for anyone who might be watching.” She muttered to herself as she unfolded the leather corset and wrapped it around herself.

“Wait…” she had it on backwards. The laces were in the back?

“Haldir?” She struggled to feel her way around the laces in the back and Schatzi wasn’t helping.

“Are you having fun watching this?” Leigh Anne glared at the horse, Schatzi nodded.

She made a face as she coaxed another lace through and jumped when another pair of hands maneuvered around her own. Automatically she stiffened up as the more experienced hands took hold of the laces and ran up her back. 

A pleasant and lyrical voice spoke up and seemed to be greatly entertained. Shame Leigh Anne did not understand what she was saying.

“Thank you.” She said when the lacing was finished and she turned around to face the she-elf.

The first thing Leigh Anne noticed were her large, doe-like eyes and the frankness of her open smile. Although she was no expert on elves this one is _ young _. Her hair was so silver and so slight it was translucent at the edges and her eyes, a vibrant and curious blue, glittered at Leigh Anne. She did not wear a tunic instead she wore a gown and slippers. Little white button-like flowers were woven in her braids and what wasn’t tied up fell over her shoulders in light curls.

Leigh Anne, who felt clean seconds ago, felt grungy in comparison.

She spoke again and once more Leigh Anne did not understand and shook her head.

“Sorry, I don’t understand.” She said as politely and apologetically as possible and the she-elf seemed to get it then gestured to her hair. Almost brown when damp the she-elf then pointed at her own and immediately Leigh Anne understood.

“Sure.” Leigh Anne looked around and took a seat on the log where her old clothes once sat and the she-elf practically skipped to get behind her.

Skillfully and gently the she-elf pulled remaining tangles free and Leigh Anne felt herself grow sleepy beneath her ministrations.

“It would seem Lorneth has taken to you.” Haldir finally reappeared some time later as the she-elf fiddled further with the remaining strands. Leigh Anne allowed her to pull all her hair up and wondered what exactly she had done. 

“I called for you.” Leigh Anne pointed out as he approached.

“And I sent for Lorneth, I thought in your circumstances you might appreciate an _ elleth _’s assistance.” He explained and Leigh Anne found she couldn’t argue.

“Thank you, does _ elleth _ mean woman?” Leigh Anne inquired as Lorneth acquired sprigs of feverfew from somewhere and began stringing the flowers throughout her new braids.

“A close enough translation,” he replied and gave Lorneth a look over Leigh Anne’s head and gave a gentle command. Behind her Leigh Anne could feel Lorneth reluctantly put one last flower in before shuffling away and re-emerging at Leigh Anne’s side.

“How do you say thank you in elvish?” Leigh Anne stood and looked into the pool’s reflection. Her eyes widened at the elaborate, but casual style of braids pinned up behind her ears affectionately decorated with feverfew.

“Try _ la fael _.” Haldir rested a hand on the pommel of a short sword Leigh Anne hadn’t noticed before.

“_ La fael, _Lorneth.” Leigh Anne smiled at the she-elf and she grinned.

“Lorn,” she demanded and pointing at herself.

“_ La fael, _ Lorn.” Leigh Anne’s smile grew wider and Lorn, to Leigh Anne’s surprise, ran over and took Haldir’s arm and spoke in rapid elvish to him. In comparison Lorn was a whole head shorter than Haldir and he looked at her with fondness that didn’t quite scream _ lovers _ to Leigh Anne. 

Leigh Anne observed the two as Lorn made what sounded like soft demands and Haldir gave monosyllabic confirmations. Lorn kept giving Leigh Anne looks no doubt meaning to include her in the conversation and Leigh Anne felt warm delight in it. Then she would remember and tell Haldir what she was saying.

“She wants you to stay with her once we’re in Lothlorien until the next course of action is decided.” Haldir translated and Leigh Anne raised her eyebrows.

“What course of action exactly? And I would love to.” Leigh Anne imagined Lorn’s home to be a cottage of flowers. Window boxes full of petunias, gallica roses on every corner and feverfew in the hundreds. Haldir turned back to Lorn as she spoke once more.

Schatzi sidled up to Leigh Anne and she stroked his neck as the elvish went over her head.

Moments later Lorn and Haldir finished and she came over to Leigh Anne with a bright smile and took her hands in hers. 

“She says ‘she must return but she will be in Lothlorien when we arrive’-” then even Haldir had to pause to catch the rest of words and with a fond sigh he added, “-although the death of Gannon will bring much sadness she hopes you will be able to attend her wedding before you find your way back home.”

“That would be great, I hope so too.” Haldir repeated back to Lorn in elvish and Lorn smile, now dampened somewhat since talking of Gannon, released Leigh Anne’s hands and left. Leigh Anne gave Haldir a quizzical look and pointed to where Lorn vanished in the woods, something she was quickly learning was Something Elves Do.

“Lorn is one of Lady Galadriel’s maidens.” Which only explained so much. “To me she is my future sister-in-law.”

“She is also Triwathiel’s younger sister.”

“Oh.” Leigh Anne clasped her hands together in front of her and shifted her weight from the balls of her feet to her heels.

“I don’t think I said it to you yet, but I am sorry for the loss of your friend.” Leigh Anne said softly and Haldir’s shoulders seemed to lower. 

“_ La fael, _” he said without smiling and in him Leigh Anne saw the age in him she did not feel in Lorn.

_ How old do elves live? _She added to her list. 

“Is there anything I can do?” she asked and Haldir eyed her out of his peripheral.

“That will be decided by our Lord and Lady, but I am curious to how you came to be here from another land.” His hand remained firmly on the sword’s pommel, between his interaction with Lorn and Leigh Anne he moved very little. As if every motion was deliberate and wasteful otherwise. Only the faint breeze toyed with his long hair and loose clothes.

“You and me both.” Leigh Anne said with all honesty.

“Lady Galadriel will likely know how to send you back.” With that said Leigh Anne felt a slight pang in her chest, it might have been the pleasant encounter with Lorn that started to warm her to the place. Clean and no longer tired she wouldn’t mind getting to know the place better, the same feeling that overcame her once she arrived in Germany and she found her fear was manageable. 

“You haven’t eaten?” Haldir noticed the unopened cinch bag near the log.

“Right, I’ll eat as we walk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up with new elven names is so much fun! 
> 
> Naturally a lot of people would pick Rivendell out of all the known elven cities in the books and we will definitely get Leigh Anne there eventually *spoiler lol not really* because this is not a story about being in one place. I personally recommend indulging in human curiosity and advising people to travel when they can - there is VERY LITTLE to be gleaned from a text book or a Lonely Planet pamphlet if I do not pursue those courses myself. I had the fortune to travel to France once and gathered more appreciation of the world and the cultures around me as well as a newfound love for my home. 
> 
> Are you planning a trip somewhere and if you are where? And why? I love studying history and art so France had much to offer for me and I cannot wait to go back with hopefully a little more French vocabulary. I'm thinking of either the UK or Germany myself in 2 or 3 years.


	8. Crossing the Celebrant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leigh Anne faces an uncomfortable night, saying goodbye and crossing a river.

[ ](https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPGLkn4G6KxEKB1px8k0UpeM_CmV4idWjqhqANpQxRu-fe0PBKLLAzaic8per_E3w?key=ZGQ2Q2hnWUMtckRBV1k0RlFBeVNNZXJRaWVMeFhR&source=ctrlq.org)

They had walked through the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon filled with stunted conversation (not for Leigh Anne’s lack of trying, it seemed Haldir was content answering her questions and falling silent shortly after) when finally he claimed they would be crossing the Celebrant soon. To Leigh Anne’s surprise he also said Schatzi would not be joining them.

“Our means of crossing the Celebrant are not suitable for a horse of any kind.” Haldir padded along the barely visible trail strewn with leaves in the lead with Schatzi bringing up the rear. “We have stables for the horses of Lorien hidden on this side of the river, but the Mearas are free. Silvrendir meandered and enjoyed the care of our stables, he may continue to do so.”

“So this isn’t goodbye? Whatever your leaders decide I can still see him again before I go right?” Leigh Anne set her jaw. “I need to know how emotional I need to be.” She looked over her shoulder at Schatzi, his dappled hide shimmered. For most of the walk she had kept a hand flat against his neck or flank imagining if she didn’t anchor herself physically somehow this fragile mindset she was in would crumble.

“Considering how attached he seems to you, I don’t believe he will go far. The Lord and Lady will certainly not keep that right from you.” He seemed confident in that solid voice of his. Leigh Anne looked at Schatzi and into the large eye twinkling beneath white eyelashes.

The very idea of parting from him among strangers in an unfamiliar place made her stomach twist into knots that were already knotted to begin with. Jumbled together with how worried Louisa and her family would be and the call her parents would get left her mouth dry then there was the death of that elven man and those terrifying creatures…

Her eyes burned. She needed a distraction. Fast.

“What was Gannon like?” She hoped he didn’t hear the slight catch in her voice. She was hoping for a lot of things not to be noticed lately.

“Strong and dependable.” Haldir answered immediately. “He and Silvrendir had a special bond. Gannon rode only Silvrendir and Silvrendir refused all others.” Leigh Anne remembered the solitary silver horse that lingered on the edge of the forest standing in knee-deep snow. The memory was forlorn and magical and it was hers. She put it in a chest and locked it up tight - if -  _ when  _ she made it back maybe she’ll finally write that book she had been daydreaming about.

“I believe it, Schatzi took some warming up to. Do you have any idea how he ended up in my world to begin with?” Leigh Anne frowned. “Is teleportation possible here? I mean - magic did fix my leg nice and fast. Teleportation isn’t completely out there is it?”

She was growing accustomed to the puzzled looks Haldir frequently threw her way with one eyebrow raised.

“It’s when you can be in one place then magically transport yourself somewhere else.” Leigh Anne explained. His other eye brow rose too. 

“Must be a no then.”

“Indeed. If that were possible my occupation would be of little use.” Haldir looked forward once again.

“What exactly is a march warden?” 

“I primarily travel beyond the borders of Lothlorien,” he hesitated to go further then continued, “to gain knowledge of the outside world.”

“That wasn’t vague at all.” She said without bite. Haldir’s smirk was almost a smile.

“What is it you do in your world?” he retorted.

“I taught English.” She said without preamble.

“The Common Speech?”

“We call it English.” Leigh Anne remarked.

“So you are a teacher, an admirable occupation.” Haldir glanced back at her. 

“You speak as if you were a teacher in the past, what do you do now?” He now seemed oddly curious, Leigh Anne figured questioning her fell into the march warden ‘gain knowledge of the outside world’ task.

“I still have to finish out the spring term, but I’m not sure what to do next frankly.” She shrugged and Schatzi grunted softly.

“Whenever I could I would hop on a train and - oh, uh, a, er, boat-” Leigh Anne struggled beneath Haldir’s quizzical stare, “-that moves really, really ast across land instead of water sort of like a - wait, that doesn’t exist here either if you don’t know what a train is, erm, y’know what, nevermind. I would travel on the long weekends and visit places like Amsterdam. I really enjoyed that.”

“You enjoy traveling then? Surely you could travel for a living there?” Leigh Anne could see how that would seem so to someone who DID travel for his job.

“It’s kind of expensive.” She said and at this Haldir nodded in understanding.

“I have my own rations and rarely do we mingle in non-elven settlements. We hardly require more than the cover of trees and have our potions and weapons.” He gestured to the bow on his back with a quiver full of arrows and at his side Leigh Anne could see the scabbard of Haldir’s sword.

“I have to have a visa and there are other legal matters, but hey, I made it. Now I just have to figure out my next step.”

As they spoke, Haldir growing slightly more talkative, the afternoon slipped away and magenta began to spread across one corner of the sky. The stream they were following had widened fully into a raging river.

Not long after the conversation fell entirely and Haldir went silent. He said a thing or two about arranging camp but kept going. His gaze kept turning toward the river and Leigh Anne followed his stare to a soft line of treetops against the backdrop of the darkening twilit sky. To her amazement an unbroken swathe of brilliant stars twinkled into sight above. Since her leg was fixed and her thighs ached it forced Haldir and Schatzi to go at her pace, giving Leigh Anne a chance to properly soak in the old forest and now the starry sky!

“I’ve never seen stars shine like this,” she said with wonder. Not even the tantalizing patches of exposed sky in the Black Forest could rival the expanse above them! Haldir glanced at her with a raised brow.

“This is not an uncommon sight, what are the stars like where you come from?”

“Hardly visible because our cities have a lot of artificial light, they block out most of them. But I never realized until now…” Leigh Anne relished the fresh air and beautiful stars that buoyed her spirit just then. Despite her tumble down the rabbit hole for the first time since she and Schatzi fled those monsters she felt things would work out for the better.

Haldir fell silent once more. Leigh Anne focused on the sound of her foot steps, she alone made sounds as her new shoes crunched against the leaves scattered with pebbles. Even Schatzi plodded along quietly at her side. Leigh Anne tried to step lightly to mimic Haldir but to no avail. She had secretly hoped wearing elven shoes would make her elven-quiet.

As early night settled into full dark the heavens glimmering softly overhead, Leigh Anne’s thoughts unfurled. It was hard to believe just that morning she had bathed and met another elf, Lorn. Since Schatzi appeared fighting those creatures on the edge of the Black Forest and tore off with her on his back it seemed all of Leigh Anne’s sense of normalcy had blurred away. Before her trip to Louisa’s family home Leigh Anne had been good about routine - active during the day, sleep at night. This trip threw her off in ways her teenage-self would have loved!

Leigh Anne’s adult-self looked forward to a night of feeling safe and clean. They had traveled all day without seeing or hearing the monsters or anything remotely dangerous.

A faint pang of alarm shot through her over the thought of what would have happened if Haldir and the other archers hadn’t found her. Funny how she just now thought of it and felt deeply ashamed of it. Even if she and Schatzi eluded those strange creatures they still would have been lost and it would only have been a matter of time before grass wouldn’t satisfy Schatzi and her ludicrous lack of survival skills started taking their toll. Not to mention what would have become of her leg…

She regarded Haldir out of the corner of her eye wondering if it would be awkward to express how grateful she was and tried to find the words.

“We will make camp here for the night,” Haldir announced before she could say anything. They came upon a small grove off to the side of the entrance hidden by a thatch of thin branches. Leigh Anne, noticing Haldir didn’t seem the least bit tired, was suspicious this resting point was entirely for her benefit. Nonetheless she wasn’t going to refuse the rest and felt the need to say something strengthen, but still she remained quiet on the matter.

“We can’t make it to Lothlorien tonight?” she asked, “oh, thanks,” she added as Haldir held back more branches to allow her easier access. Leigh Anne hadn’t noticed his watchful gaze as she gently pushed past him.

“No, it will take a couple of days to reach where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel dwell.”

Giving the grove a cursory glance revealed this place had been used before for respite and she could see stonework through a wild berry bush and vivid creepers. Were they hidden in an old castle or something?

“A very, very old ruin. We are not even sure who built it.” Haldir answered when Leigh Anne asked. The trees lining the unwalled gap were thick and the gaps between them reinforced by bunches of honeysuckle and prickly shrubs. Grass grew sparsely, otherwise the ground was covered in fluffy clover.

The grove was roomy and had more than enough space for a human, an elf and a large horse. Schatzi mournfully looked about for grass and when he was there wasn’t enough planted himself along a thick bramble of tiny thorns and yellow flowers then promptly lowered his head, his eyelids fluttering. Leigh Anne looked at him with some concern.

“His concern for you must be great,” Haldir broke through her thoughts as he passed her another square piece of bread he sampled her earlier, she found it incredibly filling and sweet. She popped it into her mouth.

“Silvrendir normally left Gannon at night and returned when he was needed or felt like it.” Haldir explained.

“So why doesn’t he leave? I mean to eat?” Haldir gave a noncommittal shrug and Schatzi offered no explanation. Leigh Anne plopped herself down on some clover frowning at Schatzi as she did.

“He will go when he needs to, but I advise you to get some rest.” Haldir pointed out and Leigh Anne didn’t feel compelled to argue, her body was practically deflating on its own.

Leigh Anne could tell how badly the past few nights had been sleeping on the ground that the clover was inviting. The comfortable lukewarm air didn’t make her miss her coat which Haldir assured her was being mended and cleaned and would be returned to her in Lothlorien to keep their burden light. She wondered who had her clothes and what they were thinking as they went over her floral pajamas and boots, the smooth feel of her coat.

She was wondering where to put her glasses and was considering putting them next to her when she felt Haldir’s gaze turn on her. She gestured to her glasses in her hand and felt more than saw the honest curiosity.

“I have seen men invent such eye devices,” he admitted from his perch on a tree stump, “do they work?”

“Yes, why? Do you need some?” Leigh Anne teased as she fiddled with them. They weren’t anything special, just thing black, square frames.

“No, we see the world perfectly clear.” He answered without hesitation or arrogance, just matter of factly. “We can see far distances and well enough in the dark when the moon shines for us.” At this clarification she did sense a tiny bit of pride.

“That makes sense,” Leigh Anne thought of how unbothered they were in the dark as he and Triwathiel examined her broken leg.

“Elves do not suffer such physical...limitations or maladies as men do. Dwarves are often short-sighted but are less likely to admit to it.” Haldir continued and Leigh Anne shot him a surprised look.

“Dwarves? Right!”  _ They’re here too. _ Leigh Anne’s abrupt exclamation earned his attention, but as she snuggled on her side trying to find comfort with her hands as a pillow she didn’t notice.

_ Ok, I’m going to go to sleep. One last go - I’ll wake up in the hospital. My parents are probably freaking out since they don’t have passports. _ Leigh Anne waited to see if conversation would continue. She noted Haldir’s blurry form rummaging around in his own pack he usually had slung over his shoulder opposite the quiver. She couldn’t make out what he pulled from it before he stepped lightly out of Leigh Anne’s line of sight. 

“Aren’t you going to sleep?” she asked awkwardly.

“I will be keeping watch,” he said his voice already seemingly far away, but how could that be? The grove wasn’t that big. 

“ _ All night? _ ” She wondered if she should put her glasses back on. “Do you want to trade in a few hours? I don’t mind.”

“There may be more monsters about,” he stated and Leigh Anne felt dumb. Of course she has been sleeping-not-really-sleeping the couple of nights trusting Schatzi would alarm her if something dangerous came close. It wasn’t like she had no other choice. 

Thrusting her emotions, which were intent on gnawing a hole in her stomach and chest, away so that fatigue could lull her to sleep Leigh Anne thought of Haldir on guard, possibly in a tree to explain the distant quality of his voice. Eventually she did fall asleep among the clover.

It felt like seconds before Leigh Anne cried out.

She woke with a start with her breath caught in her throat. From her side she looked around, night had fully settled in and the shape of the moon had traveled across the sky. Leigh Anne had slept a while, but fitfully. She wondered if she had actually made a sound, sometimes her dreams were like that. She would call out in her sleep but find in the waking world she had done nothing more than wake up. Naturally she didn’t remember the dream and closed her eyes hoping she hadn’t disturbed Haldir wherever he was. Quietly she curled tightly into her side and opened her eyes once more.

Although she couldn’t see well she realized she was facing the grove’s rim of honeysuckle, not the partially covered stone wall. Schatzi stood slumbering there, his tail fluttering in the corner of her vision and she allowed herself a moment of relief that he was there. It had all been a bad dream, whatever it was. Clouds gathered although she could not see them and her anxiety upset her stomach.

For whatever reason she didn’t want to move. Her sleepy brain logically deduced if she hadn’t drawn attention before she didn’t want to draw it by moving in  _ any way  _ that would appear she was awake. She didn’t want to be awake, but now she is in an uncomfortable position of not wanting to go back to sleep either. It was made all the worse because now she had to pee.

Girl Scouts had been like that too. The Buddy System was implored to be used even when one had to find the latrine on a camping trip and Leigh Anne’s buddy at the time never cared enough for her bladder to get up in the middle of the night. 

So that's what she was stuck with. Leigh Anne was in Middle-Earth with a magical horse and an elf and she didn’t want to get up and pee because of some time ago when she had to suffer the remaining hours of the night until morning  _ allowed _ her to go. Leigh Anne made a mental note to go over this particular part of her character, but in the morning.

By said morning Leigh Anne recalled waking up halfway through the night as a dream and not as an actual occurrence. When she could no longer ignore the pleading of her bladder and despite the illogical fear that kept her rooted in the middle of the night she had no problem snatching her glasses up then venturing off to answer the call of nature when sunlight seeping through the branches.

“I’ve never been much of a camper.” Leigh Anne said by way of greeting when she returned to the grove. Haldir had been stroking Schatzi’s face.

“Men, like us Elves, prefer the vast company of their own. Few prefer the solitude the uncivilized woods amply provide.” Haldir claimed as Leigh Anne ran a hand over the braids Lorn so meticulously put into her hair. They stayed in place but most of the feverfew had fallen out and her hair was frizzy all over.

“Even fewer leave the innermost city of Lothlorien.” Haldir said without being prompted.

“But you do?” 

“I was well suited for it.” He said and he gave her a searching look. “Did you sleep well?”

“Better than I had in days.” She answered truthfully. “You?” He gave her a meaningful glance.

“Right, you kept watch all night.”  _ He looks well though. _

“How long have you been a march warden?” Leigh Anne asked as Haldir led them out of the grove.

“Many years.” Leigh Anne could sense he was being vague for a reason.

“Could you teach me more words?” She blurted out, her face warming, “like how I should address Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel when I meet them? Or just how to be polite, general things like that?”

“I do not see why not, but you should know they know the Common Speech. You need not worry about knowing our language to speak with them.”

“Do you know more languages than yours and the Common Speech?” Leigh Anne inquired further. They came across a rise in the terrain that, to Leigh Anne’s astonishment, Schatzi leapt up and over. Haldir climbed up with little trouble.

“I can manage,” Leigh Anne said as she put a hand to a rock.

“I know of Westron, do you-” Haldir grabbed Leigh Anne’s hand as rocks gave beneath her weight.

“The rocks didn’t do that for you.” Leigh Anne huffed with mild amusement to disguise her mortification. Hands clasped in his he pulled her the rest of the way up. He gave a slight smile.

“I know where to step, in time, you might learn as well.” The implication she might be here a while was strong, but Leigh Anne didn’t comment on it. The river spilled over into a small waterfall where the boulders surged. On this higher level there was a larger river and even more forest, but this time with a more evident gap where there was a split in the river.

“As for how to address my lord and lady, they can be remarkably informal at times,” Haldir didn’t seem quite pleased with that, “but we regardless refer to them as you have just now.”

As the morning warmed into early afternoon they took breaks often to refill Haldir’s skein of water which he generously shared with Leigh Anne. Schatzi barely took a sip leaving Leigh Anne very little room for anything but worry for him.

“I haven’t seen Schatzi drink or eat much,” she pointed out to Haldir but it was Schatzi that reassured her. He butted his soft nose to her cheek. He leaned away and shook his head, his silver mane dazzling in the light. 

“Perhaps he likes to graze with his own kind.” Haldir told her.

As they walked the river grew wider and the wide split surged over to a steep shore with stiff-looking firs. On their side of the river (“The Celebrant” Haldir told her) the water was calmer so Leigh Anne slipped off her shoes and stepped close enough for the cold river to lap over her exposed feet. In the bright sunlight she peered into the swift current and was unable to see the bottom.

“Come winter it will be too cold to swim,” said Haldir. Leigh Anne didn’t say it was winter where she was from. How exactly were these worlds even connected? 

He walked a little further ahead of Leigh Anne and Schatzi as if to spot something. He turned to them.

“We will have to cross shortly.”

“Where? I don’t see a bridge.” Leigh Anne pointed out that she could see down a good length of the river and saw none.

“We do not use bridges, not as Men and Dwarves do.” He answered back and the conversation stuttered to a halt. This distressed Leigh Anne since yesterday he seemed more talkative. Maybe because they were growing so close to his home he grew more solemn?

They were coming upon an embankment lined with fir trees, hart's-tongue ferns growing thickly in pockets beneath them. The breeze consistently carried by the river ruffled her hair and pulled at the remaining flowers. Goosebumps rose on her arms beneath the tunic. She idly wondered if Middle-Earth mirrored her own world in terms of seasons but a little behind. Looking at all the trees now there was a mixture of reds and oranges among the green firs. Middle-Earth was currently in full autumn whereas the Black Forest was definitely white with winter.

Leigh Anne picked her way among the submerged curved roots that seemed too big for the fir trees. It was then she caught sight of a flash of gold through the needly branches. As they walked the hard-packed earth gave way to amber-colored grass. It grew denser and denser until her shoes hardly felt the dirt beneath, but a grassy cushion. Leigh Anne yearned to stop and rest if for anything to sit and lay down like she used to as a child on the slopes in the park near her childhood home.

Green ferns gave way to silvery fronds, firs and poplars intermingled with a kind of tree she had never seen before with grey bark and gold and green leaves - like a cross between a linden and a beech tree.

“What kind of tree is that?” She eyed a particularly large one that stood out from the others. It seemed the further they walked the taller they became. Looking further into the woods she saw less light simmering through the tree canopy. Leaves strewn across the ground, but none were golden. Only red, yellow and orange leaves.

Haldir took his time answering.

“They are called  _ mellyrn _ , or the mallorn tree in the Common Speech,” he replied suddenly short, “we are coming close to the crossing point.”

It was then she remembered Haldir saying something about Lothlorien seldom having non-elven visitors. Maybe he was on edge because of what he was about to do - bringing a human into his home where a lord and lady preside - and maybe she should be on edge too. Not that that would be a challenge, her anxiety was already up and ready.

That was all that was said between them for a time until an hour later Haldir and Schatzi came to a stop. Leigh Anne eyed the edge of the embankment for some sign of a bridge. Then Haldir whistled like a bird, a cheerful sound incongruous to his nature, and she spotted another elf across the river seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The elf kept their hair long so from this distance she couldn’t be sure if they were male or female. She could, however, make out the coils of rope around the crook of their arm.

With a practiced swing the bulk of the rope was thrown across the frothing river. Leigh Anne automatically flinched away when it spun into the sun, but Haldir caught it effortlessly. She watched quietly as he tied it around the wide girth of a tree behind them in a complicated knot.

“We must leave you here, Friend.” Said Haldir to Schatzi, the horse let out a low snort and Leigh Anne felt her heart sink. She forced herself to remember Haldir said she would have a true chance to say farewell and this was not it. Bypassing her Haldir leaned in close to Schatzi’s face, whispered some elven words then short after Haldir stepped away. 

Then Schatzi turned to Leigh Anne and stretched his neck out to affectionately nip at her shoulder. He pressed his velvet nose to her cheek. A rush of emotions coursed through her and she placed both hands on either side of his face. He whuffled into her ear then back away, tossed his mane then turned to trot into the forest. It was almost like a ‘see you in a bit’ and ‘don’t worry’. Leigh Anne looked to Haldir and found he was watching the exchange stoically.

“I am going to him again won’t I?” she couldn’t help but ask, Leigh Anne wasn’t sure what was going to happen once she crossed this bridge - literally and metaphorically. Schatzi had been returned home, but when she figured out how to go back to the Black Forest he would not be returning with her. For all she knew the lord and lady Haldir talks about might be cruel and this would be the last time she saw him.

Haldir gave a small, but warm smile. “Even if the Lord and Lady denied it, which they will not, a river as grand as the Celebrant might not deter Schatzi from returning to you.”

Leigh Anne returned Haldir’s gaze, this was the first time he called Schatzi by his new name.

She bit down on her lower lip, he looked away to survey the rope. Gratefully Leigh Anne recognized the favor he was giving her and she took the chance to compose herself.

“So how is this a bridge?” Leigh Anne asked, swiftly disposing of the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she approached Haldir. 

Without a word he pulled himself up on the rope, stood like a seasoned gymnast and to Leigh Anne’s amazement, stepped across the stream in several balanced bounds. He leaped off and looked back at her, clearly expecting her to do the same.

Unguarded laughter burst from Leigh Anne’s mouth, loud enough to be heard over the rush of the current.

“You’re  _ kidding _ me right?” she cried out, the laughter bubbling up uncontrollably.

“I don’t know how athletic the humans are over here but where I’m from most of us couldn’t do that!” 

From the other side of the stream she could see this puzzled him in the way he stood and the slight tilt of his head, the way his hair slid over his shoulders. As Leigh Anne doubled over still laughing Haldir turned to the nameless elf and motioned to the other side.

Leigh Anne managed to get her laughter under control and straightened up, rubbing away a different kind of tear.

“Phew, I needed that.” She said out loud to herself then a realization hit her like a pile of bricks.

She was alone. There was no Schatzi, no Haldir, not even a monster or a rabbit. If she had any qualms about Haldir’s character this would be her chance to bolt, but rational thought and gut intuition assured her that would be a stupid decision. Schatzi had clearly known where he had been going this whole time and who knew how far he had taken her from the wyrm-hole that brought them to Middle-Earth. Even if she did, by chance, find the point of entrance how would she manage to get back to the Black Forest? Then there were the dark denizens of this world and other wild animals. She wouldn’t do any better against a bear if she came across one!

By the time Haldir and the other elf had come to some solution by means of finding more rope Leigh Anne accepted her decision to move forward with Haldir. If these elves had meant her harm they would not have fixed her leg, nor would Haldir have fed her or given her a promise of protection. Haldir could have left her last night, but he didn’t. He could have done anything to her last night, but she woke up unmolested. It was time to put doubt to rest until she met up with the elven sovereigns.

Haldir returned to her side running along with two more coils of rope, their ends already tethered to the other side.

“You really gave me too much credit, or,” she paused, “you’re a show-off.” He had a strange smirk as he hopped off the rope-bridge, it was almost a smile but never quite one. Still amused over the prospect of attempting the olympic feat she gave Haldir a bright smile in return. Despite missing Schatzi the laughter warmed her.

“We have not had dealings with our own kin, let alone Men, in so long we hadn’t considered your-”

“Limitations, I figured.” She waved it off so he saw she wasn’t offended, just amused. She didn’t even note his tone. A mild inflection inferring Men’s limitations were not the limitations of Elves. The touch of superiority did not bother Leigh Anne, her emotions may have been a mess but she had a tough skin for other things.

“Well, I do appreciate you trying to make it easier for me.” Leigh Anne chimed in cheerfully as he looped the ropes around the same tree and tied them until they were taut. She could see the resemblance of the slim bridge to the high rope courses that could be found in playgrounds and amusement parks. She had done something similar for a team-building excursion in high school. The main difference being then she had a harness and metal carabiner that would catch her if she misstepped. What would catch her if she slipped here?

“Can it hold both of us at the same time?” She tried not to let the terror re-kindle, but was failing miserably.

He eyed the rops, she couldn’t read his expression but she could imagine what he was thinking. Leigh Anne tried to put on a brave face as she eyed them too, one low enough for her feet, on the would run along her hips and the other at shoulder height. This would be an awkward climb for her and she knew her limbs would tremble from fear and effort. She had never been one for upper body strength.

“It can,” he looked at her, again his face was guarded and must have seen the fright on Leigh Anne’s face because he added, “I will cross with you so you do not fall.”

Leigh Anne tried to take comfort in that. Then again, what else could be done? It wasn’t like they were going to build a normal bridge in the span of five minutes to accommodate her.

“There’s not another way around?” She asked. Haldir explained Lothlorien resided on an island, there were no land bridges. The ropes were the only means of crossing until the river lowered and warmed enough for wading during the peak of summer which had already passed.

“All right then,” she said with more enthusiasm then she felt, Haldir had put a hand on the lower rope, it sat low enough for her to grab at the second highest rope to haul herself up. With a rush of pride she pulled herself up although it hadn’t been as fluid as Haldir’s. Slowly, to Haldir it must have been glacial, they began making steps across the river. 

“Concentrate on your grip, center yourself,” he advised and she did the best she could to follow his advice. Due to their proximity Haldir had to hold onto the shoulder height rope, in comparison Leigh Anne felt she was clinging to them. The concentration it took for her to keep her balance and the concern she might be offsetting Haldir’s was enough to work up a good sweat despite the gentle breeze roiling off the stream foaming beneath them. 

About midway her hand accidentally clamped down on his. With a start she thoughtlessly let go and would have thrown off her precarious balance had he not grabbed it and wrapped both around the rope, this time his on top of hers.

Her heart hammered in her chest as he met her gaze, she swallowed feeling the heat rise up her neck. Without saying a word he let go of her hand and resumed the crossing with Leigh Anne following sluggishly behind.

Once they reached the other side where the other elf waiting patiently (or impatiently she honestly couldn’t tell) Haldir had lingered to help her down off the rope. 

The crossing wore her down more than she cared to admit and blamed fatigue entirely when his grip on her waist inadvertently turned her towards him on the descent and her hands landed naturally on his shoulders to steady herself, not realizing it she had begun to lean in. 

He stiffened and with a start she backed up quickly, nearly tripping on the exposed tip of a buried boulder but he had grabbed her by the elbows last minute. Doubling her embarrassment.

“T-thank you,” she stammered out.

In the wake of her embarrassment, she refused to look Haldir in the eye, the other elf spoke up in that unfamiliar lilting language and Haldir spoke back. 

Leigh Anne turned to observe and found the other elf was male and bore the same angular features, narrow eyes and same shade of silvery-gold hair as Haldir except slightly taller and slimmer. His brother perhaps? 

When they were done conversing they began untying the ropes, feeling useless Leigh Anne walked off to the side and watched as on the other side the ropes were being seen to by another elf she had not known was present. A shiver ran down her spine thinking (no, now she just knew) there had been more other than Haldir keeping watch. 

She hoped their intentions for her didn’t go sour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Haldir is fun and is only going to get more fun! Leigh Anne is opening up as well, so yeah, finally! 
> 
> I also went back to my older chapters to revise some of Leigh Anne's memory of her parents. Whilst re-reading I saw that I made them a bit too villainous when I didn't want them to seem that way. More of Leigh Anne's background will come into play, but probably not for a bit longer. I much rather start getting to a bit of fluff and how Leigh Anne came to be in Middle-Earth. No worries, Schatzi will be back!


	9. Walking Blind Through the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trek to Lothlorien begins. Leigh Anne and Haldir stumble as they get to know one another.

Once the ropes from the other side were thrown back over, the other elf coiled them and stashed them somewhere unseen then returned to Haldir and Leigh Anne. She wasn’t sure she liked the way they looked at her when Haldir met her gaze as if they were accessing her worth. Involuntarily she recalled the firmness and warmth of his broad hand on hers and despite herself felt a little better.

“From here on there are a number of protocols we must follow.” Haldir said, she saw his eyes connect steadily with hers. “Outsiders are very rarely granted passage into our city, you must be blindfolded before we go further.”

Leigh Anne could understand that, it only dredged up one of her initial ideas that he belonged to a cosplay cult, but she shrugged it off and agreed. 

“We must also confirm you do not carry any weapons or artifacts of dark magic,” Haldir translated the other elf’s words when he spoke, he blinked when Leigh Anne grinned wide.

“Sure, search away.” Leigh Anne said as she stretched out her arms clearly catching them off guard.

“We were referring to the contents found in your coat.” Haldir clarified and perhaps she was imagining it, but he seemed almost sheepish. She shrugged and lowered her arms.

“Ok, what do you have a question about?” Leigh Anne had an idea of what she might be asked and Haldir spoke a few words to the other elf. The unfamiliar elf didn’t look at her as he produced her phone, the very thing she figured would be brought up. Haldir examined her very dead phone with the same intense scrutiny he gave Leigh Anne upon their first meeting. It took everything she had not to giggle, the thrilling climb over the river had apparently frayed her usual restraint.

“It’s not a horcrux.” She said and unsurprisingly Haldir didn’t get the reference.

“What is it?”

With barely suppressed mirth Leigh Anne explained.

“Would you believe me if I said it allows me to connect with another person in a different place?” Haldir looked at her unflinchingly, not even a blink. The other elf narrowed his eyes and kept looking at her gifted clothes with open disdain. It wasn’t lost on Leigh Anne that this elf didn’t think much of their elven clothes on her human body, it certainly wasn’t an admiring gaze.

“How?” Haldir looked as curious as he was skeptical. As Leigh Anne explained further he handled it softly in an attempt to activate it.

“It needs more power, it won’t turn back on until I charge it.” Leigh Anne looked at it sadly, the sharp worry in her chest for Louisa, Grandpa and Grandma and her parents when they couldn’t find her spiked. She took a deep breath. Haldir now seemed to determine her phone wasn’t of any danger but now turned it over to stare at the reflective surface of the screen. This seemed to arrest his interest as Haldir subtly shifted it from side to side eyeing his reflection.

“So it’s not a weapon or artifact of dark magic?” Leigh Anne teased as Haldir handed it to her, the corners of his mouth twitched up, but they didn’t quite turn into a smile. Leigh Anne slipped her phone into one of the outer pockets of her leather bodice, it was a bit too big but it would have to do. The other elf still looked at her without outward suspicion darker than Haldir’s had ever been and he frowned upon their exchange. His next words to Haldir were curt, so Leigh Anne tried a different tactic.

“ _ Mae govannen, im  _ Leigh Anne.” She thrust her hand out to the elf and he stared at it. She had been practising the words since Haldir gave them to her but now here she was using them and she worried she mispronounced them.

_ I know I messed them up, I know it.  _ The elf now scowled at her and her proffered hand until Haldir spoke harshly in a low tone and the elf’s glare turned onto him. Leigh Anne slowly lowered her hand.

“This is Orophin,” Haldir claimed and Leigh Anne frowned. Haldir said something sternly to Orophin then turned to her with what looked to be an  _ attempt _ at being serious. His pale eyes were brighter than before, something about the other elf amused him somehow.

“He is my brother-”  _ Ah, that explains it.  _ Thought Leigh Anne. “-and you will find he and many others do not know the Common Tongue as I do.” There, the corners of Haldir’s mouth twitched again. Leigh Anne huffed.

_ I definitely butchered it. _

But Orophin knew enough to understand the mention of his name meant introductions were being made. His stare turned frosty as he said something with finality before turning away and vanishing, his long silvery bow being the last glimpse Leigh Anne had of him. 

It didn’t take long for Leigh Anne to spot the pale strip of cloth in Haldir’s hand that would more than likely serve as her blindfold. He noticed her gaze and held it out, indicating he would be the one to put it on her.

“We must protect our home,” he said by way of apology. Leigh Anne saw his hesitation and knew she wasn’t an enemy to him, but she wasn’t an elf either. Her eyes slid briefly to Haldir’s ears and their tapered points. She nodded, took her glasses off and turned, he lifted the blindfold and deftly tied it back over her coiffed braids. There was a pause and awkwardly Leigh Anne tilted her head wondering what she should say or do next.

“It will take a full two days-” She practically  _ felt _ him recalculate the time it would take at her pace, “-three days to make our way to the city, longer if you need to rest.”

“Chances are good I will,” she tried to joke, but being blinded around an acquaintance, albeit a nice one, was making her nervous all over again right as she was starting to feel a bit more comfortable. She lifted her hand reluctantly and was surprised to find Haldir slip a piece of rope into her hand. She nodded her acceptance. It was either the rope or hold hands with a virtual stranger for a few days. 

“Let us go,” he commanded and Leigh Anne felt him gently tug on the rope, automatically she began walking.

“Will this do?” he questioned, “I could not think of a better alternative.”

“I’m fine, gotta make the best of it right?” Leigh Anne pursed her lips in concentration. He began to lead her and almost immediately she tripped over a rock, she heard Haldir sigh.

“Make that four days,” he murmured to himself and Leigh Anne didn’t suppress her laughter this time.

“Are you the captain of the march wardens?” Leigh Anne asked as they began their trek. Since she stumbled Haldir was careful on leading her and adjusted his pace to her own, she wondered if it rankled him now more than before? 

“There are no captains,” he answered and she tripped over a root. Leigh Anne couldn’t help but grin as he gave a discontented sigh he didn’t bother trying to hide, it was his first audible sign toward her slow human walk since they began their journey. The rope made it a bit awkward at first too. Leigh Anne quickly discovered when he slowed the slack in the rope didn’t alert her fast enough so she would graze or bump into him, or at least she would have if he didn’t sidle out of her way fast enough.

It was like some kind of ridiculous bump-and-go trust test.

“Five days,” he said under his breath and Leigh Anne  _ chortled _ .

“I am pleased this is entertaining to you.” Haldir said in what was quite possibly the most casual tone she heard him thus far use.

“Will I have to keep this on the whole time?” She itched to rip the blindfold off with her free hand, she didn’t like stumbling anymore than he enjoyed her slow pace.

“Until we reach our destination.” He replied and Leigh Anne suddenly felt cheeky.

“In five days?” she inquired saccharine-sweet.

“Make that six.”

“I am not  _ that _ slow.” She felt her skin warm, they must have stepped into some sunlight then shade as her skin cooled.

“If there are not any captains then who is in charge?” She smelled something pleasant like fresh flowers in the air, it calmed her.

“We are few enough to report directly to our lord and lady. The guard, however, has a captain.” As they walked conversation came and went, in the silences that filled the gap with her vision cut off Leigh Anne found her other senses heighten marginally. 

She became all too acutely aware of how loud her searching steps were and if not for Haldir’s rope she would suspect he left her. Birds twittered and trilled above them and the flowery scent from before became more apparent, but remained astonishingly subtle. A soft breeze sighed serenely through the trees and a flutter of leaves grazed Leigh Anne’s body as they descended. She felt one land on her head and Leigh Anne reached up with her free hand to dislodge it. Bringing her hand back down she lightly touched the remaining feverfew in her braids and thought of Lorn.

The panic-edged fear that had been her constant companion the last few days began to dissipate, she stopped gnawing on her bottom lip and the inside of her cheeks. She loosened her death grip on the rope.

As the trek wore on her thoughts went from imagining her surroundings to Triwathiel and her grief. She recalled Schatzi’s near human response to coming upon the dead elf, his sorrow had been palpable. How long had Schatzi lived in the Black Forest for that must have been how long Gannon had been lost or so Leigh Anne assumed. About a month? Triwathiel had waited and waited for news as had Haldir and anyone else close to Gannon. Leigh Anne couldn’t even imagine going on without knowing what became of someone she cared for and wondered about her parents.

Although they parted on bitter terms she feared how they would react when she wasn’t found, the local authorities would send out a search party and recover nothing. A new kind of fear replaced the old as Haldir guided her over a small creek as she imagined how her parents, who had been adamant about her not going to Europe, would react when they were contacted.

“ _ Your daughter has gone missing in the Black Forest during a blizzard, without her body we can only surmise something else has occurred. _ ” Leigh Anne imagined a German cop with accented English informing her American parents, inferring every parents’ worst nightmare of their child going abroad. Leigh Anne swallowed thickly and clenched her teeth.

_ Well,  _ Leigh Anne thought with a grimace,  _ aren’t they justified? I think I’m quite lucky. How many missing people end up in Middle-Earth? _

_ How many people leave their house in a blizzard?  _ She breathed heavily through her nose.

“Are you in need of a rest?” Haldir questioned and she felt his undivided attention on her once more. Leigh Anne’s face warmed, she must have unconsciously slowed down as the dark thoughts raced through her mind.

“No, I’m fine,” she lied and gratefully Haldir didn’t press although she felt his questioning gaze.

Not too long after they must have entered a clearing of sorts, she felt the afternoon sun beam down on her as Haldir, without being prompted, had them stop.

“We will rest here briefly,” he claimed and guided her to sit on a soft patch of grass. She knew from how dry her mouth was and the lack of a pleading bladder that she might be becoming dehydrated even with the cool autumn air around them. Leigh Anne resisted the urge to remove the blindfold when Haldir lifted her hand and pressed a skein of water into it. Sitting on the grass she tried to feel for him and felt nothing. Having the silent grace of an elf meant being invisible and completely unheard. In to the other hand he pressed another bread square.

“How exactly is this so filling?” Leigh Anne inquired after drinking from the skein, she felt strange not knowing if Haldir was standing before her, elsewhere or off to the side. 

“The  _ lembas _ bread is a staple in our food rations, you will have to ask our bakers to learn more of its ingredients.” Haldir answered from her immediate right as she took a bite from it. She noted the comment about her asking the bakers, something he wouldn’t put out if he thought her a danger to his home. 

“Just one is enough to fill an elf for a day.” He added on.

“Then I’ll take four for now,” she wished she could see how his face looked in response, he had been rather expressive today. She felt his gaze on her when she grinned.

“I’m joking.” She wasn’t sure he knew, her sense of humor might have been rusty for lack of use.

“You claim to be from a place called Germany,” he stated abruptly minutes later after Leigh Anne was certain he was done talking for a time. She hummed in agreement.

“You came to be there by crossing the sea from your place of origin the United States.” She nodded.

“That’s right.” She finished off her piece of bread and washed it down with more water.

“What is the sea like?” she didn’t find this question odd in and of itself, she knew many people (including herself) who had never been to a beach, but in Haldir’s voice she heard a touch of longing. It was just enough for her to feel the yearning not so much as hearing it. No, Haldir’s voice remained much the same as before. Despite his stoic, almost arrogant and sometimes kind, demeanor she heard in him what she heard in herself dreaming of a life outside of a cubicle.

She wanted to tease him, but felt it would be trite.

“To be honest I’ve never been to a beach myself, I hadn’t seen the ocean until I was flying over it.” In hindsight she figured she should have thought before she spoke.

“You  _ flew _ ?” he didn’t believe her and she didn’t process his incredulity.

“Yes, we have a means of transportation that is much faster than sailing.” It felt good to lord something over the elf, she grinned. “What would have probably taken months by sea took less than ten hours by plane. A giant machine that can carry a lot of people miles off the ground.”

In further hindsight she should have started with the Wright brothers.

She really wished she could see his face, see his open marvel at what the slow humans could accomplish, at least until she heard him suddenly stand up. There was an agitation to his movement that startled Leigh Anne into standing too. Was there danger she couldn’t hear? An ironic twist to her story that she would be saved by an elf’s superior hearing in this moment?

When he took her hand to place the rope in her palm it wasn’t as gentle as before and she felt dread for the first time since she first encountered Haldir and his archers. There wasn’t danger, but she had said something that irritated Haldir. This upset her, she hated it when people were angry, especially when they were angry with her. A people-pleasing characteristic she wished she had been able to leave behind in her adolesence.

“You do not have to mock me for my curiosity, if you do not know saying so will suffice.” What wonder was in his tone before had vanished and Leigh Anne knew her lack of tact was to blame entirely. It was obvious by their walking and having no means of faster transportation than by horse (or the athletic genetics of elves) and rope bridges that her talking of airplanes or even cars were a stretch for him to imagine and came off as her belittling him. 

She owed him so much - her rescue, his honesty and willingness to help her, heck, he could  _ talk  _ to her. She remembered how Orophin looked at her, should she be even more grateful Haldir was helping her if the other elves might look at her as Orophin did? Leigh Anne didn’t think before she could feel so ashamed.

“I am so sorry I offended you,” she said in a quiet voice, “I did not intend to, I’m still...getting used to all this.” She swung her free arm out towards the woods around them, but she really meant everything Middle-Earth. All this being lost in the woods and encountering elves that she had only heard of from fictional books and movies and constantly reminding herself this was all real.

At her sincere apology she felt the tension in the rope soften.

“I suppose it would be,” and that was that, but there were still some ruffled feathers Leigh Anne didn’t know how to smooth over. When Haldir resumed walking she had no choice but to follow feeling horrible inside. The exchange had left her stomach tied in a knot and Leigh Anne worried that whatever might have been growing between them might have been prematurely gutted.

The rest of the day passed agonizingly slow and when she finally felt the urge to find a bush the request was difficult to form. Leigh Anne had yet to see Haldir eat or heed the call of nature, as far as she knew Haldir hadn’t slept in two days and was still walking with the same restrained vigor he had all day and the day before. As her legs began to ache and her feet throbbed in her elven-made shoes she recalled Haldir’s words, truly the limitations of Men were not the limitations of Elves.

Leigh Anne refused to be a bother to further reinforce Haldir’s opinion of her kind. Walking as fast and carefully as she could as if to show Haldir personally that humans were not weak. Why she felt the need to prove herself she didn’t bother contemplating.

By the time she felt the coolness of night settle on her exposed, sweat-laced skin Leigh Anne was on the brink of begging to stop. She figured by this point Haldir would have called for another rest as he had done so quickly earlier, but pride kept her from questioning it. The past few days spent with Schatzi she thought her fitness level would have risen, but if anything she was more tired. Inside her left boot she felt a blister in the making.

“Haldir,” she finally managed, “I need to stop.” She nearly ran into him when he stopped so suddenly from her announcement. She felt a little lightheaded and refused to show it, but her posture was failing her. Never in all her life had she hiked  _ all day _ .

“Can you manage a little further?” he asked softly and it was clear he wasn’t annoyed with her. There was an underlying urgency to his voice that put everything out of her mind.

“Yes, why? What’s wrong?” 

“A little further along and we won’t be sleeping on the ground tonight.” He replied. Leigh Anne, who didn’t care if she slept on rocks at this point, knew there was something he wasn’t telling her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked again with a frown partly effective because of the blindfold. Leigh Anne kept her voice as low as Haldir.

“There are reports of the varglings on the Celebrant.” He said, “I thought to tell you but didn’t wish to alarm you.” Varglings? Oh, the creatures. 

The fact he thought to tell her at all was encouraging, if they were to be friends not all was lost. But…

“What reports?” Leigh Anne couldn’t recall once of any elves approaching Haldir and speaking to him even when she was fully absorbed in ignoring her discomfort. Then she remembered the elf that she hadn’t noticed appear on the opposite shore of the Celebrant, one that most assuredly had been standing mere feet behind Leigh Anne for who knew how long. Were there elves around them right now using hand signals to report to Haldir without her knowledge? She knew Haldir was there but she would have doubted his presence without the rope. The hair on the back of her neck rose.

“Haldir, a fair warning, you let go of the rope while we’re walking I’m ripping this blindfold off.” Not that it would mean much without her glasses which Haldir had stashed somewhere on his person. She didn’t mean to tremble, but Haldir seemed to take her comment for what it was: fear.

“I made a promise and I intend to keep it, Lady Leigh Anne.” He whispered. 

“How much is further?” She inquired, deciding not to comment. It bothered Leigh Anne greatly how fragile her independence was. She thought she had finally had control over her life when she stepped on the plane to Germany, then she slipped and slid treacherously into the wilderness. Now she clung to Haldir like a child and despised her helplessness. He talked about a well-worn path before them and Leigh Anne self-consciously lessen the distance between them.

Almost there, she thought as Haldir lightly tugged at her to follow. There were howls in the distance, but Haldir assured her they were wolves from far off, not the varglings.

“As if wolves are no less dangerous,” Leigh Anne claimed and a few minutes later Haldir pulled her to a stop.

“Are we there?” she asked and to her surprise she felt him release the rope, she raised her hand to take the blindfold off as she promised she would but his hands gently landed on them, stopping all movement.

“Allow me,” he said simply and his presence appeared behind her, his hands on the back of her head untying the blindfold.

“Your blindfold will return in the morning, for now it will be easier to climb without it.” He said as the fabric fell away.

“Can I have my glasses?” she asked and she felt him hesitate.

“Can you manage briefly without them?” he was a blur with vivid silver hair in the dark forest. Leigh Anne was terribly near-sighted and consented she could, his shoulders dropped slightly, she narrowed her eyes.

“Are you breaking protocol for me?”

“Improvising,” he corrected, “your situation is unique and I do not think Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel will begrudge a human who can hardly see the use of their eyes at night to climb a ladder.”

“Humans can’t see in the dark.” She pointed out to the blurry elf.

“My point, Lady Leigh Anne-”

“Please drop the ‘Lady’.”

“- if asked you can truthfully say you couldn’t see the way through the Naith.”

“The what?”

“The Niath, the Gore, the land between the Celebrant and the Anduin.”

“Got it.” Leigh Anne glimpsed around them and didn’t see an immediate difference in the dark between the ground and the trees until she spotted the moonlight glinting silver against what must have been the swaying mallorn tree leaves. Her heart beat clattered when she thought there might be elven faces among the leaves and thought for a fantasy world she felt she was the star of a horror film. She imagined their faces varied in paleness beneath the dappled gloomy fading twilight, their eyes dark in the distance and she knew they were all intensely focused on her.

The darkness was thickening and if indeed she was asked she could say she saw nothing apart from the distinct twinkling of silver leaves and Haldir’s light-colored hair. She had never seen a forest so black and she had slept in terror of the nights with Schatzi. Leigh Anne folded her arms in front of her chest. 

Suddenly Haldir felt like a life-line, what was to be her fate in this strange world? 

Haldir walked her till he came to a halt beside a large tree and whistled low, a rope ladder unrolled from the blurry canopy to the grass and she felt Haldir’s expectant gaze. Flushing she realized what she had to do first.

“I’m going to have to use the bathroom first,” Leigh Anne pointed to a bush across from them, or at least what she thought was a bunch of bushes. She only hoped it was far enough from the tree and that no one could see her from the lofty heights above. She prayed Haldir wouldn’t volunteer to stand beside her to be sure she didn’t try to escape. 

“Be swift,” was all he said and she didn’t hesitate.

Leigh Anne refused to think of keen elven hearing when she hid behind the bush and a pair of trees that were thick enough to hide her completely, but even so it took her bladder some convincing. As she tried to get comfortable she pulled out her phone and tried to turn it back on. To her surprise the icon came on and seconds later the screen appeared albeit briefly enough to show she had 1% power and no service. The light of the screen lit up her face before her phone died once more. Just like that, what little hope she had of reaching her world was extinguished.

When she emerged once again she found, to heighten her embarrassment, Haldir staring at her funny. She at least thought it was a funny look because his head was slightly tilted and he was looking at her.

“What?”

“What was that light?” she blinked then showed him the phone upon realization.

“It was my phone,” she claimed wistfully, “not magic or anything. I didn’t think it would turn back on, but it did, it makes its own light. Like a firefly.”

He stared at her phone then he raised his face to her once more. If he had thoughts about her phone and the possibility of it working he didn’t voice them and Leigh Anne couldn’t see his face well enough to wonder what he was thinking.

Haldir held the ladder motioning she would go first. Leigh Anne gaze upward and even with her bad eyesight she understood she would be climbing a long way. The blister on her left foot throbbed.

“I apologize for pushing you so hard,” Haldir said when Leigh Anne grasped the the rungs, she looked at him. Now that she was closer she could make out more of his facial features, but they were still shrouded in blue shadows. 

“I didn’t want to frighten you with the varglings, although I had no reason to believe we were in any immediate danger I wanted you safely on this  _ flet _ .” He explained and Leigh Anne now understood why there hadn’t been any breaks.

“I thought you were angry with me, about the airplane - the flying.” Leigh Anne watched him shake his head.

“No, and I apologize for that outburst for that as well.” He said carefully.

_ That was by far the calmest outburst I’ve ever heard,  _ Leigh Anne thought wryly.

“I should have thought before I spoke, I was at fault too.” Leigh Anne stated firmly and Haldir must have smiled but the moonlight was just enough to emphasize the change of facial expression, not clarify it. 

“Then we are back on even ground.” He said and Leigh Anne nodded.

“Yes, but next time there are reports on varglings, let me know, I’ll definitely move faster.” 

“I will remember that.” Leigh Anne fingered the rungs of the ladder.

“Haldir?”

“Yes?”

“What is a  _ flet _ ? A tree house?”

Moments later Leigh Anne was ascending. Beneath her hand the rungs of the rope ladder were smooth and silver. The tree was much taller than she anticipated, even when she climbed a significant amount she would look up and see she still had a lot of climbing to do. Silently she hoped she would not need to pee in the middle of the night. At the top of the ladder was a platform, the  _ flet  _ Haldir explained to her.

Leight Anne’s inner child delighted in the impending prospect of sleeping in a tree house, her backyard growing up didn’t have the right tree for it. Her outer adult was, however, appalled at the very obvious lack of siding once she reached the top then with the grace of a sprawling beetle scrambled onto the platform.

When she pulled herself up to glance over the edge sent her reeling, bad eyesight or not. Suddenly feeling dizzy Leigh Anne scooted on her rear to the trunk of the tree and brought her forehead to her knees. Haldir was taking his time climbing up and she took the chance to look around. Peering over her knees she saw the sturdy planks of wood were silver and a container fashioned from a burl in the tree held bundles of fabric upon closer inspection.

By the time Haldir eventually joined her he found Leigh Anne with her back pressed to the tree, as far from the edge as she could go and said nothing of it and in the perpetual darkness she could not make out his face. For all she knew he could be his brother or another elf so bad was her eyesight. She watched as he turned and pulled the ladder back up as another chorus of howls rang out in the distance, a series of goosebumps rose on her skin. Her hair was beginning to unravel and an auburn ringlet slid out from behind her ear.

“Are those wolves or varglings?” despite what she said earlier she preferred them to be wolves. Leigh Anne was surprised by how calm she sounded, was the sure safety of a treehouse several meters off the ground that fortifying? The blurred heights made her dizzy and the lembas bread in her stomach churned at the idea of rolling off in her sleep.

“Wolves are beyond Lothlorien’s borders. They will not cross the rivers Celebrant nor Nimrodel.” He claimed as the last rung of the ladder was tied into place.

“Who let the ladder down to us?” It only just occurred to her someone had to have been up here to let the ladder down and now her chest was a nest of jitters. She thought of Haldir’s brother appearing out of the brush to throw them the rope bridge and the other elf on the other side once they crossed. Leigh Anne imagined if the foliage were lifted she would find a thousand elves.

A night bird trilled loudly in the silence making Leigh Anne jump. In the dark the golden leaves were a shimmery blue struck silver by moonlight. All she could see of Haldir as he walked about the platform as if he weren’t several tens of feet above the ground was his dark form and the contours of his face limned in moonlight and the sight, blurry as it may be, made her stare. Perhaps he would give her back her glasses if she said she wanted to gawk at him properly.

Caught off guard Leigh Anne felt a pleasant blankness envelope her mind as she stared unabashedly. Then she snapped out of her reverie and clenched her eyes shut to rub them. Uncaringly, or if she were really lucky (which was a toss-up at this point) he had been too preoccupied to notice her shamelessing staring, Haldir approached her with a bundle of fabric from the tree burl.

To her surprise he bent down to her level to hand her what had to be a blanket. She took it gratefully but despite how tired she was she couldn’t imagine how she was going to sleep so high off the ground without a wall of some kind.

“Lady Leigh Anne,” she was even too tired to correct him, his gaze was soft, “you are safe up here.”

She belatedly realized she was trembling again and inwardly scolded herself which only seemed to make it worse. Afterwards Haldir left her to her thoughts. In his own way Haldir had tried to reassure her, probably sensing the duress she herself was late in fully feeling, and her shaking did cease, but her heart still raced. Another glance over the edge would very likely destroy any means of sleep she was ultimately determined to get tonight.

For a long while she just stared out at the treetops of smaller mallorns, easily disntingushible with their flashy silver leaves. Haldir, who was doing whatever responsibilities he needed to attend to on a  _ flet _ had meandered close to her. 

“There are no sides,” she pointed out like a dumb child as she gestured to the rounded rim of the platform, “what if I roll off?”

Her stomach sank as the concept, her terror spiked.

“Leigh Anne,” he surprised her by saying her name without the title, surprised her by not sounding exasperated and further surprised her by unwrapping the blanket and covering her with it.

“ _ Breathe. _ ” He commanded softly and she suddenly felt like crying. It was as if her body and mind were on two different speeds and her mind was only just reconnecting to her bodily systems, as if it took someone else to point out how real her terror was for her brain to fizzle back on. She hadn’t known her breathing had hitched and she took a deep breath. Feeling flooded back and now Leigh Anne was aware of every shake and shiver that betrayed her to Haldir. She was mortified he had to see her like this. That anyone should see her like this. 

“Had I known how you would have felt being up here I would have proposed staying on the ground.” He said and Leigh Anne, with his hands now dropped away, shook her head.

“It isn’t the heights,” then she chuckled lightly, to her she sounded shrill, “it isn’t  _ just _ the heights.”

“Would you like your glasses back?” There was no hesitation in his tone now, he was truly concerned for her and Leigh Anne busied her hands with fiddling with the blanket and cocooning herself inside of it.

“No, I won’t ask that of you. Not that it would matter, I can’t see in the dark remember?” She played it off, Leigh Anne ignored the wave of nostalgia she hadn’t experienced in months. She missed Louisa, she missed Schatzi.

Another howl sluiced through the silence joined by another in deep harmony, Leigh Anne took another deep, stabilizing breath. The combination of the sweet air and Haldir’s solid presence, as steady in front of her as the tree was behind her, made her panic soften, dismantled her fear and at last soothed her homesickness. Haldir lingered. She looked up into his face and saw only naked concern and slightly furrowed brows. Momentarily forgetting about the empty air beneath the wooden planks and the ground far below fatigue returned feeling to her aching limbs.

With the rush of adrenaline formerly fueling her fright diminishing Leigh Anne’s eyelids began to droop, her shoulders sagged and her hands loosened around her knees.

“You’re good at comforting others, is that a part of your job?” Leigh Anne asked sleepily.

Haldir watched Leigh Anne as if deciding what he would say to this. “No, it isn’t a part of my job.”

There was a significant pause where Leigh Anne was threatening to fall asleep sitting up when Haldir spoke up again.

“I lost my parents when I was young, so I had to comfort my brothers when they were distressed.” Leigh Anne’s eyes managed to widen.

“I’m sorry about your parents, that must have been hard.” She whispered.

“How did they die?”

“Orc raiders.” She didn’t want to press for details.

He fell silent and looked out over the trees as Leigh Anne had. She yawned.

“I lost my sister.” She whispered, “everything changed after she died.”

“My condolences,” by looking at her he could see her loss was more recent as it was with most humans, but he kept that to himself. “Was she older or younger than you?”

“Older. My parents didn’t...they go to a thera - they talk to someone about it.” Leigh Anne leaned her head back against the tree.

“Every time I’m about to fall asleep I think I’ll wake up and everything will be back to normal. Ha, as normal as it can get.” She whispered and Haldir glanced at her, but didn’t say anything.

“ _ Loro vae. _ ” He told her, “it means to ‘rest well’.”

“ _ Loro vae _ ...”

Leigh Anne figured she might have been dreaming again so she thought she dreamt of waking up on the  _ flet _ . It was still night and the moon had wandered lazily a few feet across the sky, it’s spherical glow oozing through the  _ flet _ ’s treetop. A gentle breeze caressed her cheek, she realized she was lying down her head cushioned by more rolled up fabric. Hadn’t she fallen asleep upright? 

With a blanket of stars and amber boughs above her Leigh Anne relaxed, content to lay until the dream ebbed away.

Then she heard the faint, but quick words in that lilting elven tongue beyond her. She recognized Haldir’s voice, but not the other’s. When she carefully peered up, not daring to physically move not wanting to betray herself, she made out Haldir’s blurry profile and long silvery-blond hair out of the corner of her eye. He was whispering fervently to the other elf. Being unable to understand the words Leigh Anne did pick up there was an argument underway.

As the dredges of sleep wore away enough for her to know she was not dreaming, Leigh Anne closed her eyes to pretend she slept on.

More words were exchanged and the further the argument commenced the more urgent they sounded. Eventually the argument concluded with a grudging acceptance on the unknown elf’s part. She felt a presence leave and she eventually fell back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The term "vargling" and J.R.R. Tolkien's "warg" are anglicised of the same word "vargr" referring to Norse mythology around Fenrir, Skoll and Hati. However, I initially heard of the term "varg" from David Clement-Davies' book "The Sight" which is a fictional story around wolves in Transylvania. It's crazy how well even to this day J.R.R. Tolkien's work holds up, constantly inspiring new readers and writers. 
> 
> Althought Tolkien's wargs are more like large, evil wolves my varglings are more ursine-like boars with both tusks and teeth. Maybe I'll get a drawing up of it here soon. :) 
> 
> Part 1 of Fernweh is almost done!


	10. Let There Be Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne desires to be of some assistance as dangerous draws close.

Leigh Anne woke the next morning groggy, but more refreshed than she had in days. Sometime in the night Haldir must have lifted her head and given her a makeshift pillow which made her stomach flip and her face tingle at the thought. Sitting up she forced a casual yawn and rubbed her eyes. Sleeping up in the tree, despite her concerns without the railing, had definitely been the better choice. 

When was the last time Leigh Anne woke to open morning sunlight? The  _ flet _ wasn’t in the tallest tree so rays of light were diffused through the surrounding leaves creating a pleasant dappled effect on her body. Leigh Anne stretched her arms and yearned for another bath and to brush her teeth. Yawning once more she turned to look around for Haldir and wondered if he slept or stood sentry all night.

Without her glasses she spotted the blurry elf off to the side. He was sitting cross-legged, a pose Leigh Anne thought was a little uncharacteristic of him but thought nothing more of it. Haldir’s head slowly glanced over at her and did not say anything.

“Do elves not sleep?” she inquired feeling surprisingly cheerful, it was remarkable what a good night’s sleep could accomplish. 

Still Haldir said nothing. Was it her or was he sitting a little too stiffly? 

“Good morning to you too.” Leigh Anne greeted now pushing the cheerfulness. Was he annoyed with her? 

“What is good morning in your language anyway?” He didn’t reply once more which shot pangs of irritation and worry through her. Immediately her thoughts began to run rampant, trampling her warm mood - was he now upset with her from last night? While she slept did he contemplate her anxiety and write her off as a sad creature? Was he having second thoughts about bringing her any further toward his home? She couldn’t remember exactly what was said, did she say something out of line? She didn’t think so but there were cultural differences she didn’t know enough about to make any necessary connections. 

Perhaps...Haldir received word from his leaders that she was no longer welcome and he was preparing to give her the bad news? What would she do if that were the case?

Haldir was rifling through his satchel as she fiddled nervously with the blanket.

“I’m sorry if I, oh, I really shouldn’t be saying sorry without knowing what I am sorry about, would you talk to me - ah, thanks.  _ Wait. _ ” Haldir leaned over and offered Leigh Anne her glasses. She took them and frowned. Just last night he didn’t want her to have them for the sake of the protection of the Naith. Now he was giving them to her without a word?

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to -  _ oh _ .” Leigh Anne put her glasses on and looked at Haldir, upon her realization her mouth formed an ‘o’ shape and she blinked completely dumbfounded.

“You’re not Haldir.” Leigh Anne confirmed out loud as she regarded the stranger, the elf smiled brightly. He gave a short wave which she slowly returned.

“You wouldn’t happen to be one of the elves that  _ do  _ understand the Common Language would you?” The answer was a resounding no as his silence hammered in the fact. Leigh Anne resumed chewing on the inside of her cheek as she pondered over this new situation.

“Hm.” Leigh Anne nodded to herself, something had occurred in the night in which she previously thought it was a dream. It didn’t take much thought to confirm what would have pulled Haldir away then leave her in the care of someone else. The varglings or something else of similar threat had pulled Haldir away. Leigh Anne wasn’t arrogant enough to think she was Haldir’s first priority, but it did chafe a little that he didn’t think to wake her and tell her what was happening since just last night she told him to let her know.

She sighed and the elf seemed to sense her thoughts.

“Haldir,” he began, then went on an unfamiliar tangent Leigh Anne had no hope of understanding. He fixed his jaw and thought deeply when he realized he wasn’t getting through to her and started again, but much slower. She shook her head feeling the frustration mount.

_ He’s trying to tell me something about Haldir, I’m sure of it, _ she thought wryly. 

“Leigh Anne,” he shocked her by saying her name and in his smooth accent it sounded smoother and less like two names shoved together. He said something else with the universal ‘come’ motion to himself.

Then he gestured to the rolled up ladder.

“And you are?” Leigh Anne pointed at him with a shrug to soften the directness of her action. His grin was bright and boyish, so much so that Leigh Anne felt a curious spark of affection.

“Rumil,” he put a hand to his chest, then he said a few more words including ‘Haldir’.

Another brother of Haldir’s? He had to be. He had a striking resemblance to both Haldir and the taller one, Orophin, from yesterday. With her glasses on she could see the subtle and distinct differences her bad eyesight could not. He had shorter hair than both Haldir and Orophin, but more elaborate braids and she even saw the glint of small, silver beads among them. His face was more round, adding to his youth (making Haldir look older and older) and an additional effeminate quality Leigh Anne couldn’t quite place. His eyes twinkled like Haldir’s, more blue and spoke of open mischief that made Leigh Anne smile.

She gradually felt her guard lower as Rumil continued a game of charades, if anything he was eager she understood his intentions and she not be angry with Haldir. Every time she frowned Rumil abruptly began another string of incomprehensible words in an appeasing manner.

“Where is Haldir?” Leigh Anne attempted to make the appropriate gestures feeling silly. She motioned to the wooden platform beneath them and then out to the trees. Rumil playfully mimicked the growl and fingered the snapping maw of the varglings solidifying Leigh Anne’s suspicions. Haldir had warned her of the varglings being sighted, but he had been firm to think they were not in any peril.

Something changed last night. Only the varglings, Leigh Anne was certain, would persuade Haldir to leave his task of escorting her to someone else and trust the return of her glasses. She wasn’t annoyed anymore, but worried. It was comforting, however, she was left with a family member.

The language barrier was going to be frustrating, but Leigh Anne had dealt with it before. As Rumil shuffled around the  _ flet _ Leigh Anne undid the remaining bits of braid in her hair. She ran her fingers through the tangles then yelped when her one and only hair band snapped. The yelp was enough to summon the elf and Rumil’s head popped around the tree trunk so fast Leigh Anne let out a laugh.

“I’m fine!” she showed him her snapped hair band and motioned to her auburn locks, straggly and wavy from the braids. Appeased Rumil’s head vanished leaving Leigh Anne to her trial.

“I guess that’s that,” Leigh Anne tried plaiting her own hair but discovered she had little patience for it. She left it loose and tried to relish the rising sunlight casting the  _ flet _ now in a bright blaze. Not that the calm lasted, she hoped Haldir and Schatzi were all right. Not even the fear of heights and the inevitable climb back down could distract her. She told herself they were both fast and elusive, the varglings could do them no harm. Especially now that she wasn’t with them to be a hindrance.

A cloud came over and blocked out the sun, a faint breeze picked up to make the trees sway ominously to match her mood.

Rumil appeared with more  _ lembas _ bread, a food she was quickly coming to associate with a dessert as the more she ate it the sweeter it seemed to become. There was a grainy filling to it or was that how Rumil made it? They sat together for a few moments when Rumil also produced another satchel, new by the looks of it, and handed it to her.

“T-Thank you,” Leigh Anne couldn’t remember the word in Elven as she took it. The way he encouraged her to take it signalled this was a permanent gift, not something to be borrowed and returned. Gratitude warmed her as she always enjoyed practical things. It was made of animal hide, shocking her at first as for some reason elves struck her as vegans, but the satchel proved this was not so. 

The craftsmanship, she realized as she ran her fingers over, was marvelous. The buckles were silver, not unlike Schatzi’s tack. The gray, not brown, satchel had one flap (embossed with a simple pattern of leaves) and once opened revealed an assortment of pockets and her own skein and a leaf-wrapped package she knew held more  _ lembas _ bread. She immediately slipped her phone into one of them, in doing so she made this satchel completely her own.

Leigh Anne beamed at Rumil who understood she was pleased with the gift.

“Haldir,” he said simply without elaboration. It was Haldir’s idea. He had not left her completely without aid. Was it his way of softening his leave without telling her? This made her resolve to go forward stronger.

She looked at the rolled up ladder and gestured to it. Rumil nodded in understanding.

Although her resolve was strong Leigh Anne was no more prepared for the descent. She urged Rumil to go first to give her time to gather her courage. During the day the distance was much greater and she mentally prepared herself. Putting her new satchel around her shoulder and across her chest Leigh Anne was able to adjust the strap so it hugged her body and didn’t swing freely.

Her stomach churned as she grasped the first rung and let her body slide off the edge of the  _ flet _ . For a moment she lay suspended and took a deep breath.

As she began descending the sun emerged from behind a field of clouds and dappled the forest floor with yellow spots. 

Leigh Anne felt every pound of her weight pull her down faster and faster, rung to rung. More than once she had to wipe her clammy hands against her tunic until the relief of Rumil’s hands glanced her shoulders. The first step on the ground was so satisfying Leigh Anne nearly wept, but instead she grinned and adjusted her satchel already quite attached to it.

Rumil, armed with a longbow and a quiver of arrows, made her think of Haldir and felt the pang of his absence. It also made her realize she - still - didn’t have a weapon. If the varglings had touched on the borders and meant to cross paths with Leigh Anne again she lacked a horse to flee and the experience with a bow and arrow to stand her ground. Her only choice was to get to safety with Rumil as fast as possible. She wasn’t even to be hindered by a blindfold and she was determined to ignore the blister Rumil was kind enough to wrap.

A sense of urgency tugged at her gut and a breeze picked up again strong enough to blow through the thick forest.

“Where do we go?” She looked to Rumil and he waved her along.

Pricking her ears for anything unusual Leigh Anne took advantage of her glasses being returned to her. With a threat present that warranted Haldir leave her she no longer felt compelled to search for elven faces in the shrubbery. They were climbing uphill for a time among the mallorn, but although Leigh Anne didn’t see any of their distinctive thrice-pointed leaves among the leaf-litter she made out the surrounding oaks, poplars and hornbeams. 

Rumil’s stride held purpose and Leigh Anne was determined not to slow him down any more than she had to, but once they came across a black raspberry bush he stopped to gather a handful of berries. Following his example Leigh Anne gathered her own, making note of the plant. It genuinely bewildered her to pick out something edible in the wild and snack on it as she trailed after Rumil.

If Rumil was aggravated by her slow walk (albeit she was moving much faster than the day before without the blindfold) he didn’t show it. In fact he seemed excited to have made a new friend. A string of new words Leigh Anne couldn’t fathom the beginning or end of were constantly falling from Rumil’s mouth as if he couldn’t help himself. His smiles came easily making Leigh Anne think of the sweet Lorn. 

Leigh Anne remembered Haldir mentioned Lorn was to be his future sister-in-law, Rumil must be the lucky elf.

Where Haldir walked Rumil pranced. He was taking his job seriously and kept Leigh Anne within sight at all times, but there were times he would bound ahead just to come bouncing back with more incomprehensible conversation with such animated hand gestures Leigh Anne didn’t feel completely excluded. He would point out animal tracks, some of which Leigh Anne could see were rabbit or deer tracks, but others left her stumped. Rumil was the overeager boy scout happy to share his world with an outsider, a complete one eighty from the glaring Orophin and dutiful Haldir.

It all came to a halt when he stopped cold and held a hand out to Leigh Anne to stop which she did. The enthusiasm in Rumil slipped easily into being wary. Leigh Anne’s fingers itched to take up a stick or a rock, anything that might do damage to an attacker, but she could only see heavy boulders jutting up from the ground and twiggy branches too unwieldy to swing. Rumil was hunching down and had his longbow in hand, Leigh Anne scanned the surrounding wood. It became all too apparent what she wasn’t hearing - the twittering of a bird or the creaking of trees. 

Leigh Anne felt frozen, her feet rooted to the ground. What was she thinking of having a weapon? Her fear left her too immobilized to make use of one.

Had it only been yesterday she would crawl into her sister’s bed scared of the monster in her closet? Her sister would wake and tell her the monster was real, but it wouldn’t see them if they held very,  _ very _ still.

Leigh Anne blinked away the memory as fast as it came. Slowly the closet door swung open, the hinges protesting with a heart-rending  _ squuee-eeaaak - _

“Rumil?” a female voice broke out nearly sending Leigh Anne into a state of apoplexy.

“Triwathiel?” Leigh Anne burst out in a breathy rush, Rumil’s stance relaxed but his longbow remained in his hand. 

“Leigh Anne, I am pleased to see you again.” Triwathiel put a hand to her chest in greeting, Leigh Anne unconsciously returned the gesture to which the elven woman smiled softly. The hue of mourning still colored her, but Triwathiel was now armed and clad in a sturdy bodice and gauntlets, her gown gone in place of a moss-colored tunic and pants. Her bright red hair had been pulled back in a single braid, Leigh Anne spotted her and Gannon’s leaf pendant at her throat.

“Likewise,” Leigh Anne acknowledged, “Rumil I’m sure has told me, but can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Haldir has actually instructed us to meet with you,” Triwathiel motioned to two other elves who stepped out of the foliage, one of which was Lorn who flashed a grin at both Leigh Anne and Rumil. Leigh Anne watched for some reunited lovers' facial expressions and wasn’t disappointed by Rumil’s re-energized enthusiasm. They didn’t meet in the middle and clasp hands, but Lorn seemed to glow with happiness and Rumil’s smile seemed wider. Neither Triwathiel or Leigh Anne made a passing comment.

The other elf was Orophin who didn’t seem at all happy to be there. He didn’t even deign Leigh Anne with a glance. Both he and Lorn wore similar battle garb and in hand Lorn had a small bow about a third of the size of Rumil and Orophin’s bows. Triwathiel had one strapped to her back, but held a dagger in one hand.

Leigh Anne felt woefully under-dressed and felt their intentions before Triwathiel gave voice to them.

“We are to protect you the remaining distance to the city,” she said, “the varglings had managed to cross into our land.”

Leigh Anne suspected as much and dread fell heavy in her stomach.

“Surely you can pick them off like before,” Leigh Anne said both hands clutching the strap of her new satchel, “shoot them down with arrows. Haldir said they couldn’t cross the rivers.”

After what she experienced in the woods when Haldir’s archers shot down all the varglings surely this wouldn’t be a big deal. Maybe there were just more than before, but the elves were faster and would overcome them.

She remembered Gannon’s pale form in the grass and the stomach-churning vision of his shredded torso. Leigh Anne felt cold suddenly and her eyes widened worriedly. She was told the Mearas were faster than normal horses, but how much faster were elves compared to humans? Were they faster or as fast as Schatzi?

“They are still a recent threat, we are still determining their capabilities.” Triwathiel admitted reluctantly and Orophin made a gruff comment to which she nodded at. 

“Yes, we’re dallying. Let’s talk as we move.” Triwathiel now assumed the role of leader. Rumil fell into step with Leigh Anne on her right as Lorn held her left arm and gave it a friendly squeeze. Orophin took up the rear and glared at everything.

“At first we didn’t think they could swim, but apparently they are capable of learning.” The uphill climb evened out into flatter ground, Leigh Anne focused on Lorn’s hand on her elbow. She sported an extravagant hand guard making Leigh Anne’s hands feel naked. Another cloud slithered across the sky. What started off as a calm autumn day now seemed to be promising another storm. The breeze came and went twirling Leigh Anne’s loose dark hair.

“According to our border guard a swarm of them, juveniles by their size, attempted to cross the Anduin and a good many of them were swept away. Others were shot, but their numbers made it possible to make many survivors possible.” Triwathiel wasn’t holding back much to Leigh Anne’s appreciation, she felt helpless enough as it is, she didn’t need to be left in the dark like a child.

“Those survivors are wreaking havoc and distracting the archers from further invaders. They keep coming, even Lord Celeborn has gone to fight at the border.” Rumil and Lorn were exchanging words around Leigh Anne but she didn’t mind, Orophin didn’t say anything at all. Leigh Anne thought instead of their Lord Celeborn, a leader who jumped into the fray was someone to be admired.

“But no one is hurt right? The archers are in the trees where the varglings can’t get to them?” Leigh Anne thought of the peaceful night in the  _ flet _ . Triwathiel looked over her shoulder and met Leigh Anne’s eyes.

“They’ve learned to climb.” Triwathiel’s eyes glinted and Leigh Anne belatedly realized the elven woman might possibly want revenge, but instead she was here protecting Leigh Anne. She felt angry for Triwathiel, why would Haldir send her to watch over a slow human and not fight the varglings that killed her beloved? Perhaps that was the reason. Haldir knew her better, maybe Triwathiel would get reckless in the fight blinded by her grief? Leigh Anne was in no position to question it, but she felt for Triwathiel all the same.

“Your safety is of utmost importance,” Leigh Anne must have been easy to read because Triwathiel added, “we might not have known the location of my husband’s body for a long time. You brought him back to me and where I could not protect him I will protect you.”

“I’m not that important, Triwathiel.” Leigh Anne gave a wan smile, but Triwathiel’s gaze was fierce enough to garner worried expressions from Rumil and Lorn who looked between her and Leigh Anne.

“Do not doubt your own value, Leigh Anne. All life is precious.” Triwathiel looked forward and Leigh Anne felt her resolve waver then settle. 

“Is there anything I can do?” Leigh Anne asked some time later when even Lorn and Rumil fell silent in favor of vigilance. The land had grown flat, but they had walked along elven made bridges over tiny rushing waterfalls and the mallorn grew thicker and more plentiful. Slowly, but steadily the foliage was shifting, turning silver and gold. Where space narrowed Rumil would fall back behind Leigh Anne and speak softly with Orophin, Lorn would move ahead and give Leigh Anne encouraging looks. The urge to be stronger burned intensely in her chest.

“We are almost to the city, once we are there we will hurry back to the border to waylay the remaining varglings. Our Lady Galadriel may meet with you.” Triwathiel didn’t seem any more sure of what was to be done with Leigh Anne once she was inside their elven city than she did. Still Leigh Anne nodded, if sitting tight and staying out of the way was what was needed of her then so be it. She was going to be in an  _ elven _ city there would be plenty for her to look at and explore if Lady Galadriel couldn’t speak with her. If they let her.

The wind blew and on it the sound of high-pitched shrieks and giddy hyena-like laughter even Leigh Anne could hear clearly. Instantly the five of them stiffened and arrows were notched, Triwathiel withdrew another dagger and Leigh Anne tried not to cower.

Down over the swell of rocky terrain infrequently broken up by a forked mallorn tree and tall saplings there was a rustling of bushes then a crash of large bodies. Like boisterous dogs playing and not looking where they were going, a pair of varglings were rushing blindly through the undergrowth and swiftly dispatched by an arrow to the skull by Orophin and Rumil each. Leigh Anne never even saw the flash of their fletchling.

Lorn said something in elvish that of course went over Leigh Anne’s head but triggered Triwathiel to grab hold of her arm and prompt her to run ahead.

“Come!” Triwathiel urged as the two of them ran on ahead.

“Weren’t there just two -” Leigh Anne heard ear-splitting yowls ricochet through the forest. Rumil, Lorn and Orophin’s arrows were cutting them off.

“This close to the city means the Anduin is being overrun.” Triwathiel didn’t sound out of breath but the running was making Leigh Anne wheeze. The sun was being blotted out by an enormous black cloud, Leigh Anne was so sure the sky was clear and blue that morning. She also thought she would awake to Haldir and the two of them would calmly finish out their trek to the center of Lothlorien without obstacles. 

“Why - are - they - *wheeze* - even attacking? This seems - so out - *wheeze* - of place!” Leigh Anne swallowed a huge gulp of air and held the stitch in her side. Her satchel still hugged her from the climb down the ladder and she never loosened it. What she would do for Schatzi right now! To climb on his back and gallop the rest of the way!

“That’s the question isn’t it?” Leigh Anne envied Triwathiel’s athleticism. She struggled to find purchase between boulders and more than once nearly twisted her ankle in the rush. “We cannot figure it out - they are dark creatures! They might have been born for nothing but violence.”

“We noticed they breed extremely quickly and when they are born the mother dies and the young eat her corpse. When they’re done they find anything else they can eat, perhaps they attack simply to eat and they cannot be satiated.” Triwathiel must have noticed Leigh Anne was slowing and lessened their speed. Leigh Anne weakened to a walk and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a sleeve. Triwathiel made a decision and pushed one of her daggers into Leigh Anne’s hand. 

“Take it, just in case. I have others.” Triwathiel said to Leigh Anne’s winded, but shocked expression. True to her word she revealed a swathe of knives beneath her tunic strapped to her left thigh. They glimmered viciously, each handle encrusted with an opal with a rough grip. Despite what they were designed to do Leigh Anne couldn’t help but think they were beautiful.

Leigh Anne had never even held a pen knife and was surprised by the weight of the dagger, but the grip molded to her hand and she felt much less helpless than before. She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to use it.

“We must move quickly, you must stay safe and as a healer I must limit my exposure to the battle.” Triwathiel said as she pressed on at a brisk walk.

“What does that mean?” Leigh Anne picked up her own pace. They were now out in the open once more, the mallorn were growing closer together, their boughs seemed to be bowing inward to shield them from the hovering storm clouds. The breeze had picked up and brittle leaves were grazing Leigh Anne’s cheeks and rattling against her clothes.

“Healing magic becomes less potent the more a healer spills blood, it is why I came to lead you. Haldir knew this when he sent me.” Leigh Anne stumbled into a hole then righted herself, thankfully she avoided another twisted ankle. So Triwathiel wasn’t just frustrated she couldn’t join the battle because of Leigh Anne, but because her magic would also suffer for it. 

“I have a feeling your magic will be needed,” Leigh Anne said softly, Triwathiel’s mouth was set in a grim line.

“I think so too, but I hope not. There are few enough of us as there is.” Leigh Anne shoved that nugget of information away for later and clambered up a rocky ledge after Triwathiel. Internally she prayed Rumil, Lorn and Orophin would be ok and that Haldir was managing to strike down more than enough of the varglings. Remembering how the varglings had snapped at her heels and the giant one with the stealth to sneak up on her with its putrid breath sent a shiver down her spine.

Instinctively she had reached for her phone, dumbly thinking she might see a newsfeed of the river and mentally slapped her palm to her head. There wasn’t a news app, no internet, no way she could keep up to date without someone coming along and telling them. Leigh Anne never felt so disconnected. There was nothing she could  _ do _ .

A drop of rain fell on her nose and Leigh Anne looked up. Rain was falling and Leigh Anne fervently wished it would swell the Anduin and sweep not some, but most of the varglings away. Enough to overflow the banks and take anything on the ground away from the tree-bound elves that guarded the border. Her sadness for Triwathiel’s loss, Gannon’s death and the terrifying chase through the woods on Schatzi’s back fueled it and as the rain became a deluge Leigh Anne relished getting soaked.

A heavy wind bombarded the surrounding mallorn as the rain came down in sheets. Triwathiel ducked her head as a mallorn branch swung down and nearly cracked away from its trunk.

“This storm-” Triwathiel’s voice was drowned out and Leigh Anne gasps choked on rainwater. This is exactly what she wanted. The land was slowly inclining, the rain was making the ground slippery and in turn would make the varglings clumsier for the fleet-footed elves to take down. Surprising even herself, Leigh Anne smiled into the rain. 

The storm worsened, gaining ferocious momentum. Triwathiel had to grab Leigh Anne and drag her behind a large boulder to block the brunt of the elements.

“This isn’t a natural storm!” She managed to yell over the roar of the squall.

“A wizard must have joined the fight!” she called out and Leigh Anne laughed.

“Of course there are  _ wizards _ ! To think Haldir was surprised humans invented a flying machine but you guys have WIZARDS!” Leigh Anne felt inebriated, Triwathiel’s opal-encrusted dagger was pressed flat into the ground.

Then as suddenly as it began the winds died down and the rain ebbed away to a drizzle. The world was drenched and dripping as Leigh Anne and Triwathiel emerged from behind the boulder now glistening like obsidian. Leigh Anne stumbled and dropped the dagger.

“S-sorry,” she slurred and meant to bend down to pick it up but ended up slumping then like a marionette with clipped strings fell entirely into a pile beside the dagger.

“Leigh Anne?” Triwathiel fell to her side and regarded the human woman for a moment before putting her hand to her forehead.

“You’re feverish, I don’t…” Triwathiel trailed off as the blood left Leigh Anne’s skin, leaving her paler than before. Even her lips were losing color and Triwathiel began to form suspicions. She swore in elvish and magic tingled in her finger tips, making them warm and she pressed them against Leigh Anne’s chest.

“Allow me, Triwathiel.” Spoke a melodious voice that made Triwathiel whip around.

“ _ Hiril vuin! _ ” Leigh Anne strained to hear Triwathiel’s voice and tried to speak, but her throat was closing up, her mouth felt dry and her tongue too heavy to move.

_ Did I catch something? Am I dying?  _ Leigh Anne thought of the days spent in the woods with Schatzi, she could almost see him now hazy between her eyelashes. He glowed silver and he nickered to her, swishing his tail urging her to get up so they could go. He wanted to get home and she was moving so slow.

_ I don’t feel well, hold on Schatzi… _ he pranced in the corner of her vision. She tried to swallow and speak again, but couldn’t. He shook out his mane in that flashy way of his, his vanity amused her. She saw him as she did the first time on the edge of a snow-glazed wood through the curling hoarfrost on her window. Schatzi was rearing now, he wasn’t wearing his special saddle and pawed at the ground with his fore-hooves.

“ _ Odúlen le nathad. _ ” A woman’s voice fell on her like a blanket, Leigh Anne imagined it was her mother. She was in a coma! She knew it! Her parents were able to make arrangements to meet her in a German hospital. Leigh Anne was going to wake up and be reprimanded for her thoughtless behavior. Her mom and dad were going to remember they still had a daughter left, they hadn’t lost everything the day her sister died. A comforting warmth surged through her, her brain was un-muddling, she was waking up. She would write that book she thought of writing about this weird dream. She doubted it would sell well, but it would be a start.

She felt her lips twitch at the thought then she frowned. What would she be going back to? After the hugs and kisses, something her parents had never been free with, what would she do? Return home to the States, was that home? For a linear life? Her time in Middle-Earth was hard, but it would get easier as she got to know it like it had in Germany. There would be adventure, places she had never been to, to imagine filling her new satchel with provisions and jumping on Schatzi and taking off to go wherever she wanted.

The potential was endless, but it was all a dream wasn’t it? She managed to swallow, she was feeling better now.

“Leigh Anne?” that didn’t sound like her mother. She cracked open her eyes.

“Leigh Anne?” this time she recognized Triwathiel’s soprano, but she wasn’t looking at her.

“ _ Mae govannen,  _ Leigh Anne.” The woman hovering over Leigh Anne’s face was not Triwathiel, but a goddess. Her eyes were two orbs set in a smooth and unblemished pale face crowned by a silver circlet of intertwining curled knots joined in the center of her forehead. A moon goddess by the crescent-shape dangling from that circlet. Her hair fell in wavy cascades of shifting gold and silver much like the boughs of the mallorn. They fell on either side of Leigh Anne’s face and the goddess smiled down at her.

“It would seem,” she said softly, “your first storm will not be your last.”

Drenched and breathing, Leigh Anne felt the storm recede completely and the return of sunshine.

* * *

Down by the river Haldir was among the first to slip down from the trees to the ground now bare of the varglings. He, along with his fellow elves, had endured the storm and watched as the river surged and rose violently to grab at anything standing on its embankment. It was not easy listening to the shrill gurgling and screams even of the monstrous boars but it was a relief to see things did not come to close combat.

The intention of the storm was clear, even an elf-child could recognize when the elements were ensorcelled to do the bidding of a wizard.

Haldir turned to the approaching figure of a nobly clad elf bearing a sword broader than his own. A number of other elves were following their example and exchanging their bows for daggers and long blades. They gathered around the river’s edge where not even the dead varglings struck down before the torrential rain began remained.

“Who summoned the storm?” Haldir looked to Celeborn, but the cool gaze of the elven lord looked back at Haldir with slightly furrowed brow.

“There is no wizard here.” Of that Lord Celeborn was sure.

Haldir stared out across the river and scanned the foliage. It was not in the nature of wizards to do a deed anonymously than carry on in their wayward travels. Gandalf was the most likely candidate as his travels were the most wayward of all and brought him to Lothlorien more often than the others. He would be out here already puffing away on that foul-smelling pipe of his and greeting them all with a twinkle in his eye. 

“How strange,” he said as the sun burst out from behind the swiftly dissipating clouds. Red and gold leaves fluttered down to the clamoring gush of the river and vanished in the froth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PART 1 is done! Onward to Part 2!
> 
> I meant to have this chapter up sooner but I abruptly acquired a new job and I've been adjusting to my new schedule. However the story is coming along swimmingly, I am super eager to go on with Leigh Anne and her "unexpected" new skill. So what do you think of Fernweh and Leigh Anne so far? What would you like to see in Part 2? I am definitely looking forward to more time with Haldir and Middle-Earth and so happy that I will be getting the chance to write Galadriel and Celeborn finally.
> 
> For Part 2 I am hoping to get a playlist together on Youtube to share and possibly share my inspiration board for Fernweh on Pinterest. Meanwhile I'll be playing Persona 5 Royal and putting together a new graphic! Happy Easter!


	11. PART II |  The Fairest Realm of the Elves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne is welcomed into Caras Galadhon and tells her story to Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn.

Leigh Anne had a lot to think about.

Since her “episode” (yes, that’s what she calls it although Triwathiel and Lady Galadriel both used the term “overflow”) over an hour ago Leigh Anne was more than content to languish alone with her thoughts.

Triwathiel had done all the talking as they walked (or in Leigh Anne’s case stumbled as she kept a tight grip on Triwathiel’s arm) through an inconspicuous entrance to a tiny and sheltered grove dominated by its bath. There had been a hallway, glowing lights and possibly other elves but Triwathiel assured her Lady Galadriel had ordered them away.

_ Lady Galadriel _ . 

Leigh Anne was still in a state of dumbfoundedness that mortified her. When Triwathiel was helping her the goddess-like elf glided along behind them not saying a word since Leigh Anne came to from her episode. For the upteenth time Leigh Anne had been struck stupid by another turn of events. According to Triwathiel and the Lady Galadriel she, Leigh Anne a normal human by all accounts, had performed magic. 

“Magic is natural to have, but you have to learn how to use it properly.” Triwathiel began as they made their way among the mallorn and whortle-berry shrubs. Leigh Anne and Triwathiel both were soaked to the bone from the deluge, but neither seemed to notice it for vastly different reasons. Triwathiel had been pulled from her grief so thoroughly by Leigh Anne’s summoning she was practically vibrating with excitement tempered only by her concern. Leigh Anne felt like she was trudging through mud just trying to keep up with the (mostly one-sided) conversation.

“For comparison reasons, imagine trying to learn how to run before you know how to walk. You will fall flat on your face and hurt yourself. So one must build their muscles gradually. Magic is the same way but a misstep can be dangerous.” Triwathiel frowned. “The gates within you flew open, you were  _ bleeding _ magic and too much was leaving you too fast.”

_ So overflow.  _ Thought Leigh Anne sluggishly.

“To learn how to use it then,” Leigh Anne wheezed, trying to understand through her brain fog, “is to learn how to staunch it when you only need so much.”

“As a healer making the use of magic comparable to the flow of blood is suitable.” Triwathiel mused, they came to a wall of ivy that parted easily by hand. Leigh Anne swore the little silver blossoms on the vines tinkled like bells from the movement.

“The storm you unintentionally summoned was draining you, once your magic depleted it would have gone to your next readily available resource - your life span.” Triwathiel’s excitement vanished completely as a firmness entered her voice, all awe over the storm ebbing away. She might have given Leigh Anne a stern look but she couldn’t be sure, Leigh Anne’s glasses were blurry and wet from the rain. Rubbing them clean would have required something drier than her tunic and more energy than Leigh Anne had at the moment.

“If not for Lady Galadriel, you would have turned to a husk before my eyes.” She said seriously with a touch of melancholy and Leigh Anne’s stomach churned uneasily. Then the gist of it was that the storm hadn’t been sipping gently from her but sweeping her away, no wonder she felt decrepit.

“I don’t know how I did that, I didn’t know I  _ could _ do that.” Leigh Anne managed to whisper. The more she walked the more boneless she became, Triwathiel had to hold her up now.

“I saw  _ you _ perform magic,” Leigh Anne managed, “but I didn’t see  _ me _ do anything special-!” Leigh Anne’s toe caught on a stair and she yanked on Triwathiel who fortunately seemed to have the strength of an ox. She wasn’t pulled off-kilter by Leigh Anne’s spontaneous movements whatsoever.

“We’re almost there.” She encouraged, at the moment refraining from responding to Leigh Anne’s comment, “I am taking you to the baths.”

Although she hadn’t said a word Leigh Anne felt Galadriel’s presence like a soft and comforting cloud. It was almost enough but Leigh Anne felt the agonizing absence of Schatzi. How had she become so emotionally attached to anything so incredibly fast? She also thought of Louisa, her grandparents that took her in so readily like Leigh Anne too was their granddaughter. Being practically carried made Leigh Anne’s heart ache and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying.

She thought of her parents and how they parted then took a deep breath.

“What will the baths do?”

“Rejuvenate your magical reservoirs. That, some food and a lot of sleep and you should recover in a couple of days.” Then Triwathiel gave Leigh Anne a thoughtful look. Leigh Anne could see what she was thinking, the look was so much like Haldir’s when he had to recalculate the days it would take them to walk to Lothlorien by her slower human speed. Unlike Haldir, Triwathiel didn’t voice her thoughts. Leigh Anne smiled.

“One day at a time then.” Leigh Anne sighed and nearly tripped again over her own feet. Triwathiel caught her.

“Perhaps you should just lay me down here and I’ll sleep.” She meant for it to come off as a joke but Leigh Anne could hear the serious suggestion in her own voice. She chuckled under her breath.

“I think I’m delirious.” Leigh Anne commented with sluggish cheer. Triwathiel gave her an amused expression laced with light worry.

“I’m beginning to think that myself. Why would we let anyone sleep in the walkway? That’s terrible hospitality.” Triwathiel attempted to right her, but Leigh Anne’s brain fog tripled and she felt herself maneuvered on to Triwathiel’s back. For a willowy thing she was remarkably strong. Leigh Anne’s head sat snugly on Triwathiel’s shoulder and the easy up and down motion of her walk made her eyelids droop.

“We’re there.” Triwathiel’s voice woke Leigh Anne from her reverie. Slowly she looked around lifting her head steadily from Triwathiel’s shoulder.

The pond before them must have been the bath Triwathiel was talking about previously and looked hand-made, not naturally carved from the earth at all. Regardless it looked much more inviting than the open air pond from earlier. This one was sheltered in a leafy dome framed with interwoven lattice work. From what Leigh Anne could see there was no looking in or out and as Triwathiel lowered her to her feet she saw that there was only one entrance.

It was important to note Galadriel was nowhere to be seen. Leigh Anne gave Triwathiel a questioning look.

“Lady Galadriel has gone.” Triwathiel said simply.

“Oh, um, where did she go?” Leigh Anne immediately felt spoken aloud the question was ridiculous. Lady Galadriel is one of the rulers of Lothlorien right? She had to have been a busy person and if she could help Leigh Anne then surely there were others who needed her attention way more than her currently.

“Nevermind,” Leigh Anne blurted out before Triwathiel could answer.

Triwathiel waited patiently as Leigh Anne gathered her bearings and looked around the bathroom. Indeed the pond, or bath, was dug deep enough she could probably stand in it without treading water and she could see the grainy bits of the bottom well. The side was composed of patterned rocks and the flooring they stood on was made of compressed pebbles and brilliantly colored little gems that sparkled depending on the light.

Speaking of the lighting...Leigh Anne stared in awe at what appeared to be silver flowers giving off bioluminescent light bright enough to luminate the space with remarkable clarity even with her smudged glasses. The flower-gleam shimmered enchantingly on the water’s surface and Leigh Anne, despite how tired she was, looked forward to dipping in.

Off to the side Triwathiel was rummaging in a wooden casket next to a stone - no, it was a bench made up of curled, gray wood. Atop it was a bundle of folded towels and a small assortment that Leigh Anne could only imagine were scrub brushes. Leigh Anne waited quietly as Triwathiel turned with translucent pouches wrapped in shining silk ribbons and bent over to tie them to the side of the bath. The pouches floated then gradually sank. The water grew slightly murky and a few minutes later gave off a gentle aromantic smell.

“They’re herbs, salts and a pinch of something more.” Triwathiel explained mysteriously smiling softly at Leigh Anne. “There’s a stair there-” she gestured to inside the bath, “-do you need help?”

After concluding that no, Leigh Anne did not need help undressing and that she could manage it, Triwathiel reluctantly left, shutting the door to the private bath behind her. Leigh Anne, with a sigh, peeled away her wet tunic and only after getting halfway with the sleeves did she realize she needed to untie her leather bodice. 

Another sigh, but she refused to call out for Triwathiel after only just sending her away.

It took a few more precious moments but she managed to untie the laces and strip the rest of the way. Wringing her hair loose she felt around for the bath’s edge and then the stair. Slipping her first foot into the bath was dream-like. Appearances were very deceiving Leigh Anne was certain the water was going to be cold or at least lukewarm. Instead she discovered it was comfortably warm and she slid in the rest of the way with buttery ease.

At first she tried to be productive and took a watery swipe to her glasses then dried them off with a nearby towel. Then she took the soaps and brushes Triwathiel left behind and rubbed herself raw. Working a lather into her hair made her arms ache so she did what she could before going beneath the surface.

Bravely, or stupidly depending on how one looked at it, in a bath full of soap and herbal concoctions Leigh Anne, while beneath the water, opened her eyes. Initially she did so because as she went down she didn’t feel the bottom of the bath and even though she stretched out her toes she didn’t feel anything. Curiously she looked about and gasped, releasing a flurry of bubbles. The colorful gems that spotted the stonework above colored the stone beneath the water as well. Even better the bioluminescent light of the flowers refracted into the pool and glinted off the gems. 

Leigh Anne emerged just to breathe then went back down. Indeed she could still see something resembling a grainy floor but it was further down than she expected. There was enough room for Leigh Anne to maneuver downward if she felt motivated enough of which at the moment she was not.

Taking another gulp of air Leigh Anne returned to this small pocket of underwater enchantment to get closer to the gems. She ran her bitten fingernails along an emerald then a sapphire injected infrequently around plain rocks. 

She did this until her limbs felt leaden and her energy was all but spent.

_ I hope the storm didn’t hurt anyone,  _ Leigh Anne thought as she emerged fully from the bath. She pulled at a towel and rubbed at her hair. She still couldn’t quite process that the storm had been  _ hers _ , but Galadriel and Triwathiel had been certain it was. She pulled the cloth over her face and held it there then groaned aloud into it. What else was going to happen? What else was she going to  _ learn _ ? Was Schatzi secretly a unicorn and he magically transported them both here? Was Galadriel really a fairy queen or a goddess? Was she ever going to be able to return home?

Leigh Anne brought the towel from her face and renewed her drying hastily.

She was just in a bathtub surrounded by glowing flowers and gleaming gems. She had gotten hurt, but she was healed miraculously by a nice elf and helped by another. Schatzi was ok and somewhere else now, but she hadn’t lost him. There were monsters roaming the woods and she could summon a storm.

She frowned into her reflection in the bathtub, her dark auburn hair lanky from its rough drying and her face looked too tired to think.

Did she want to leave?

She shook her head and dressed in another tunic left behind for her and a pair of soft leggings, this time of pastel blue color. To her mild embarrassment and appreciation it would seem someone had taken a closer look at her original clothing items and provided her with a plain bodice that she suspected was for under the tunic and not over like the other had been. This one had to be laced up the front and supported her chest comfortably.

Once she was dressed and could see through her glasses clearly once again Leigh Anne took a seat at the bench to wait for Triwathiel.

Minutes passed and still Triwathiel did not return. It was silent outside the leafy dome, was it night time? Leigh Anne felt her eyes drooped and stood up.

_ Maybe they’re waiting outside the door, _ she reasoned and went to open the door.

No one was outside it. Pulling the door completely open Leigh Anne looked about.

“Triwathiel?” she called out and was greeted with silence.

Dread churned in her gut, had something happened after all? Were Haldir and the others at the river hurt so badly all elves ran to their aid? Was Triwathiel called away and she hadn’t the time to let Leigh Anne know? She was hardly comfortable meandering around on her own in a place Haldir told her outsiders rarely ever saw. But what other choice did she have if no one came back for her? She had to have been in the bath for almost an hour and someone remembered to give her dry clothes.

Tentatively Leigh Anne started walking down the path lit up by more silver flowers until the walkway came to a fork. There was no sign of whence she came so she took a guess and went right. It was a relatively flat walk so imagine Leigh Anne’s surprise when she discovered she was in a tree - again.

The lattice walls dense with foliage opened up to a bare railing carved from silvery wood well enough that Leigh Anne could make out the world around her.

The world around her took her breath away. It was almost like a snowglobe, a city dipped in silver glitter and trees formed the ceiling with golden leaves. With both hands she grasped the railing and stared amply down to the floor then raised her gaze up to the grand tree her railing was leading toward. From that massive trunk sprouted a number of other walkways to other walled tree houses with numerous  _ flets _ in between them. Around the trunk of the main tree there was a large staircase that spiraled downward to the ground. Looking to her right Leigh Anne saw that the walkway she came from was ensconced in a craggy rock face overgrown with amber creepers and sagging, heavy leaves.

Leigh Anne took a step back, but couldn’t stop staring. She was right to suspect there were no elves present, the city of trees felt abandoned. When she focused she could hear the gentle gurgling of running water and saw a pair of large fountains down below, their spouts glistening.

Where was everyone?

Curiously not feeling as tired as before (the effect of the herb-saturated water maybe?) Leigh Anne picked her way down the remaining length of the walkway, lightly running her fingertips along the railing as she went, and carefully descended the staircase. She admired the whorls and smooth grain of the wooden stairs where each step was gently limned with shining buds perched upon curling vines. Leigh Anne was careful with her human feet afraid to squash even one.

By the time she reached the last stair Leigh Anne’s vision had practically gone silver and gold. Certainly there were undertones of austere green and mauve, hints of brown and touches of alabaster. Wrapped in pastel blue Leigh Anne felt her flesh was too pink, too warm in this cool-hued place. Strangely it was not cold although the city appeared cut from crystal.

A mild breeze blew in and it comforted her to see the foliage sway. Now it no longer appeared abandoned, just briefly vacated.

Looking about she still didn’t catch sight of anyone and she proceeded to call out to Triwathiel a couple of times. When no one answered or came Leigh Anne approached one of the fountains. It beheld a statue of an elf and there were accolades along the round rims of the multi-tiered base, not that Leigh Anne could hope to read them. The spoken language was liquid enough for each word to flow into another without Leigh Anne’s slightest comprehension, the written word seemed further out of her depth between all the swirls and dots.

So Leigh Anne turned her attention from the base to the elven statue. Seemingly female, but it was difficult to be sure between all the layers of clothing and it seemed the custom of all elves, including the stone kind, to keep their hair long. Trying to diffuse her prickling anxiety over what she didn’t know Leigh Anne instead admired the craftsmanship. Every contour of folded fabric, the fine knuckles in the elf’s hands and seemingly mischievous twitch of their lips was remarkably done. This elf looked ready to spring off the base holding them and stride down alongside their flesh and blood counterparts. Although she was hardly an art connoisseur Leigh Anne felt a deep appreciation toward the statue not just in form but figuratively.

The stone elf was staring longingly outward and initially Leigh Anne thought the elf was staring at the other elf on the other fountain. The budding concept that these stone elves represented star-crossed lovers was dashed when she followed their gazes toward what must have been the main entrance to the city where a grand gateway sat. 

“They stare toward Valinor, across the sea.” Spoke a familiar voice that made Leigh Anne’s heart swell, inspired the feeling of butterfly wings on the back of her neck and a mild surge of external suppressed power that made her blood hum.

“Oh, um,” Leigh Anne tried and failed to make a proper response. Her tongue felt dry and stuck to the roof of her mouth as she turned and met the Lady Galadriel’s calm gaze. She seemed to have nothing else to say and waited patiently (to Leigh Anne’s flushed countenance) for her to unscramble her thoughts.

“I...I was done with my bath, but no one came back for me so I came out on my own...I hope I haven’t done any harm coming out here without permission.” Leigh Anne finally said and the elf’s face alighted with courtly mirth.

“Is everyone ok?” Leigh Anne blurted out when the silence stretched a second too long. “I haven’t seen anyone so…”

“All is well,” Galadriel claimed in a melodious voice that reassured Leigh Anne nothing could possibly go wrong in the world for as long as she resided in it. She gave a genteel wave of her hand to her surrounding city. 

“Allow me to formally welcome you to our city within Lothlorien,” her eyes twinkled, “this is  Caras Galadhon.”

Leigh Anne gave the ground dwellings a cursory look then gazed up at the walkways she descended from to find, to her surprise, her eyes kept going up.

“Of course as a city of trees we thrive in the canopies.” Galadriel’s voice softly stated as Leigh Anne gaped. She had thought the walkways, a good forty to fifty feet off the ground, were the highest point. She was very wrong. Above and beyond the walkways there were more spiraling staircases, more vines of softly glowing silver light adorning more  _ flets _ , a good number of walled little houses nesting between branches and snuggling against densely woven trees and still there were more above even those. Leigh Anne saw many rope bridges and not an inch of sky.

“This place is amazing,” she whispered in an awe-struck voice. Leigh Anne was under the very real impression she was only seeing the surface. She imagined those little houses hid other walkways and branching rooms, various entrances and a whole bramble of elven livelihood she couldn’t see from the ground.

“It has been an age since we’ve had outsiders here,” Galadriel’s gown shimmered as a long-fingered hand gathered the skirt, “will you join me.”

It wasn’t a question and even if it had been one Leigh Anne wouldn’t have said no. She followed after Galadriel past the fountains, down a slight decline molded of flat stones. Here too there were little gems sprinkled into the stonework that glinted merrily and emboldened Leigh Anne’s spirits as she walked along.

“You have come a long way and on the back of a mearas no less.” Galadriel led her onto a path edged with sweet-smelling shrubbery taller than both of them. The shrubs pressed in until the narrow path opened up to another tidy pool, this time with a basin and a grove of haughty mallorn trees standing sentry around them. Leigh Anne felt at peace here, but felt the steady stirring of something both foreign and familiar thrum around her.

“Haldir said you might be able to shed light on my situation,” claimed Leigh Anne hoping she didn’t sound too forward, she paused briefly before adding “and possibly help me find my way back home.”

“I can see many things,” said Galadriel mysteriously as she gazed into the stone basin, Leigh Anne in turn stared into the neighboring pool. The surface was dark and she could not see the bottom.

“Yet your path from before and onward are clouded.” Galadriel met Leigh Anne’s eyes with open curiosity. Leigh Anne felt a thread of jittery amusement. If Galadriel, the epitome of all things magical in Leigh Anne’s modern world, could not decipher her situation then it could not be expected of Leigh Anne to come up with something better.

_ So you’re saying you can’t help me?  _ Leigh Anne didn’t dare say this aloud and bit her tongue. 

“It may,” Galadriel began possibly reading the dark expression on Leigh Anne’s face. Regardless she did not seem perturbed, “have something to do with the world whence you came.”

“Magic, as Men call it, clings to you. An old residual trace of it...it is not your own, you were in contact with a source. A forest it would seem by the smell.”

Leigh Anne’s eyes widened.

“The Black Forest?”  _ That has to be it. _ How often did Louisa’s grandpa go on about the fair folk? Did Leigh Anne herself not long to see goblin faces in the deep woods? She smiled wryly at herself. She certainly got her wish.

“A black weald?” Galadriel seemed to be speaking aloud to herself and not actually asking Leigh Anne a question. Her mirth evaporated and was replaced with a contemplative look.

“Schatzi - er - Silvrendir had been in it for about a month, he seemed magical.” Leigh Anne blushed remembering her compulsive behavior. “In the snow and all. Where I’m from it’s full blown winter.”

“The cold season will soon be upon us as well.” Galadriel did not remark or ask of Leigh Anne’s encounter with Schatzi, the mearas did not seem to concern her as much as the mention of the Black Forest.

“I believe to fully understand the extremities of your circumstances we will have to examine the place you first came to be here in Middle-Earth.” Galadriel’s face lightened. “Until such a course of action can be fully determined you are welcome in Caras Galadhon. At the moment, I am afraid, I must put my people first.”

Leigh Anne nodded sullenly, but a small rebellious part of her was shamelessly happy. Delight had exploded inside her at the sight of the city looming over her. This excitement was only dulled by the fact there were a number of people surely worrying frantically over her. By this point her parents were definitely notified and who knew their reaction. She cringed at the thought of her face being broadcasted across the European continent as news anchors diligently requested any information regarding her location and well being. Her mysterious absence would upset Louisa and her family more so with Christmas around the corner.

“I completely understand, Lady Galadriel.” Leigh Anne claimed sincerely, remembering the elves had just fought off gruesome varglings and endured (she was told) a terrific storm. “Haldir and Triwathiel have done more for me than I could possibly hope to repay them. If there’s anything I can do to help or-or whatever, please tell me.”

She didn’t know the custom, had Haldir advised her to bow or something? This elf that Leigh Anne kept referring to as a moon goddess in her head didn’t seem unkind, but she was an authority figure and took time to address her individually. She didn’t have any answers, but surely they would come. Hopefully. 

After watching Triwathiel heal her leg Leigh Anne half-expected Galadriel to pull the answers from the basin she continually peered into.

“Thank you, for everything so far.” Leigh Anne finally met Galadriel’s eyes and the elf was smiling again and no longer looking into the basin.

“Thank you Leigh Anne, for such a lovely storm.” Replied Galadriel then with a small smile she added, “they return.”

Leigh Anne heard the faint murmur of talking, even heard a laugh or two in the distance, then she turned to Galadriel.

“Sit with me.” Galadriel gestured to a bench off to the side quietly shrouded by an elaborate arbor of more flowers. In addition there were two younger mallorn trees hovering around it, their golden boughs gently sweeping over the lattice. 

“My husband and Haldir will join us shortly.” Galadriel told Leigh Anne gently and so she joined the elf beneath the arbor. 

For Leigh Anne to sit beside the elegant elf ruler was like placing a daisy beneath beneath a grand willow. The bench was long enough for them to sit comfortably but Leigh Anne felt dwarfed in comparison. Perhaps sensing her discomfort Galadriel stretched out a hand toward her, her gauzy sleeve slipping away to reveal a polished stone in her open palm with a chain attached to it.

“My gift to you, it is a moon stone,” she told Leigh Anne and by way of explanation added, “for focus.”

Leigh Anne thanked her as she took the amulet from her. The milky-colored stone was inlaid in golden filigree, easily the fanciest jewelry Leigh Anne had ever possessed. She gave Galadriel a questioning look as she clasped it around her throat.

“Is it for my magic?”

“Indeed.” And that was it. Leigh Anne suppossed it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask for elaboration or a Youtube tutorial on how to use it.

It was hardly a moment later that Leigh Anne saw the arrival of two pale figures appear at the path’s exit. Leigh Anne supposed she was the only one who could barely see the others’ faces, but it was a surprise to see Haldir’s frank assessment of her as they closed in and even more bewildering to see a faint look of relief. Following Galadriel, Leigh Anne stood as they drew closer and despite herself she eyed Haldir’s clothes looking for blood or rips.

“Triwathiel told us it was you who summoned the storm that washed the varglings away.” Haldir said immediately after addressing Galadriel with a solemn hand gesture to his chest and a bow of his head. 

Completely bypassing a proper greeting for Leigh Anne, his gaze fell on the moon stone Galadriel had just given her lying on her chest. With a passably neutral expression Haldir observed Leigh Anne’s face, apparently searching for the hint of magic he somehow missed before in their journey to Lothlorien. In return Leigh Anne felt antsy before his gaze and fought the urge to run her hand through her hair to soften the damp frizz.

Beside them Galadriel and who had to be Lord Celeborn had walked a little further away and were in deep discussion, their heads bowed and faces intent on the other. Leigh Anne shyly averted her gaze and attempted to return Haldir’s stare.

“For someone who went to battle you look relatively untouched.” Leigh Anne claimed aiming for nonchalance but not quite reaching it. It was true, she spotted only a smattering of dried mud on his pant leg and a near empty quiver, but otherwise Haldir didn’t have a hair out of place.

“Triwathiel also said the storm nearly killed you.” The fact that  _ she _ looked it was implied in his tone and Leigh Anne felt warmer when she recognized concern was there too.

“I got another bath,” Leigh Anne blurted out haphazardly, she looked off to the side avoiding Haldir’s gaze, “it did wonders. Triwathiel had to carry me half of the way to it and now I’m fine.”

“I am glad.” He replied slowly and Leigh Anne’s eyes met his, he meant it.

“Are your brothers and Lorn all right?” She inquired as Galadriel and Celeborn seemed to conclude their private discussion.

“They are unharmed,” his lips curved in a light smirk, “Orophin doesn’t like to get wet.”

“Oh, I do suppose that was my fault.” Leigh Anne uttered, remembering the tall elf’s waspish gaze and apparent dislike of her. Haldir’s smirk had widened as his eyes glinted with amusement.

“He will live, Lorn is seeing him dry now.” Before Leigh Anne could ask Haldir straightened as the elven lord and lady returned to them. Galadriel still beheld an air of graceful bemusement, but Celeborn appeared grim.

“Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel,” Haldir began by way of formal introduction, “this is Leigh Anne, the one the mearas, Silvrendir brought to our world on his back and came across my patrol fleeing a pack of varglings.”

“Up until recently she had not displayed an affinity for magic,” at this Haldir gave her a swift glance, “but she claims to come from a world without it and one in the throes of winter.”

“And she discovered the body of Gannon.” Stated Lord Celeborn in a deep timbre that made Leigh Anne very weary. She figured it would take a lot of talking from here on out to explain her strange story, but Galadriel seemed to take so much with so little explanation Leigh Anne hoped she might be able to escape talking at all. Perhaps Galadriel didn’t ask much because Celeborn would also need to hear it. 

Suddenly Leigh Anne felt all three staring at her intently with varying degrees of expectation, Celeborn seemingly the most intent of them all. What strength she managed to acquire from the bath was slowly draining. Feeling heat gathering in her cheeks and on the back of her neck she pulled hard on her memory and began recounting her story from the beginning.

Leigh Anne intended to start when she saw Schatzi under attack and she came at the varglings with a branch, but Haldir gently interceded.

“You claim you have seen him there for around a month?” Leigh Anne couldn’t blame him for wanting a thorough account.

“Yes, he was first spotted a week before my arrival at my friend’s family home by her grandfather.” She frowned. “Schatzi was stealing apples and carrots in the middle of the night and vanishing so quickly no one could catch him.”

“Continue around the time you were still in your world.” Celeborn pressed. “You said you were attacked by varglings? In your world?”

Celeborn exchanged a look with Galadriel.

“Were the varglings present around the same time Schatzi arrived?” Haldir added, at this Leigh Anne shrugged.

“I honestly don’t know, they seem to attack anything that moves here, we had no problems…” at that she stopped and paused in thought.

“There were animals getting attacked, but everyone thought it was wolves or wild dogs.” Hans had once mentioned that they normally allowed their animals out every once in the while during the winter, but on account of an attack on a neighbor’s cow Hans and his family decided to reinforce the barn and keep the animals contained.

“But I can’t be sure if it was the work of the varglings,” Leigh Anne said now worried more than ever Louisa and her family and their community might be in more danger than she originally thought. Why had she assumed the varglings just hopped through worlds like she and Schatzi had? 

“Then once Schatzi started galloping, I don’t know how I didn’t fall off…” she went on to explain they careened through the snow and then once the danger had passed Schatzi plodded on for ages. Eventually the snow melted away and they entered a world still in autumn, as if they had been going backwards in time. 

“A gradual transition?” Galadriel furrowed her brow, the jewel on her forehead twinkling.

Leigh Anne looked to Haldir when no explanation was forthcoming, he nodded for her to continue.

She talked of finding the burned out den although she wasn’t aware of that in the middle of the night and exhausted -

“You did not see the bones? Or smell the acrid odor of a fire?” Celeborn sounded incredulous and Leigh Anne felt annoyed for the first time since meeting anyone. 

“She is human,” Haldir reminded him, “they do not see much in the dark. She became aware of her true surroundings upon waking.”

Leigh Anne gave him a baleful look out of the corner of her eye.

_ I’m sure he thinks he’s helping, but I’m feeling slightly insulted all the same.  _ Leigh Anne huffed.

“No, I could not see much nor did I smell anything strange, Schatzi was ok with it then so was I.” Leigh Anne felt using a horse’s vague opinion would be hardly worthwhile mentioning, but the elven rulers seemed to accept this better than Leigh Anne’s own validation. She tried not to take this personally as she too accepted Schatzi’s reactions to most things.

She picked up where she observed the bones of the vargling sow and those of its offspring, the elven arrowhead she stashed in her old clothes and Gannon’s pendant that Triwatheil now wore. Leigh Anne trudged on to the most dismal part of her story, of coming across the deceased Gannon who looked to be just sleeping in the glade. She explained that she meant to wake him when she discovered his life-ending injuries to the abrupt arrival of a brutishly large vargling that chased them through the forest for what seemed miles. In the process she injured her leg and she and Schatzi’s flight came to an end thanks to Haldir and his archers.

Haldir, thankfully, jumped in and managed to provide the remainder of the story. He glossed over the part that Leigh Anne walked away and he had to convince her to return, for which she was grateful she already felt like a swallow among swans. By the time the whole account came to an end Leigh Anne was yearning for a warm bed. Considering the elven food she had tried thus far and the bath, surely their sleeping arrangements in the city would be great as well.

Leigh Anne, however, did not like how Celeborn’s face had not changed since before the story began. He appeared to be more calculating than his wife, but Galadriel wasn’t an easier read. Her gown seemed to have a life of its own as it shimmered gently at the hem and swayed with the slightest movement. Since he had just returned from battle Celeborn still wore his sword at his hip, somehow this only enhanced the mystery that was Galadriel.

“You have endured our wilderness well,” Galadriel finally spoke, but those would be among her last words to Leigh Anne for a long time. Seemingly already having made her assessment she cast Haldir an approving nod that seemed to signify his report was formally accepted, but still Celeborn’s gaze intensified. Around this time in a story the wife would tease her husband not to be so harsh on a young protagonist, but Leigh Anne had not garnered Galadriel and Celeborn to be a “normal” married man and woman.

Despite their private discussion beforehand they did not talk directly to one another once they presented themselves to Leigh Anne and Haldir. They did not cast one another glances, but they did angle themselves slightly toward one another as Leigh Anne spoke. They fell into these stances automatically and seemed quite at home in their authority, a steadiness Leigh Anne was unfamiliar with.

Where Celeborn was proud and unwavering, Galadriel was mystical and alluring.

Night and day, but balanced.

Leigh Anne ignored the anxiety threatening to burst from her ribcage as she kept Celeborn’s gaze.

“Triwathiel spoke well of you as well.” Finally he spoke.

“It is impressive what you did with the river.” At this Leigh Anne’s face burned as she sheepishly fumbled with her fingers behind her back.

“I did not mean to do that…” she managed to say, “...but I am happy to have helped and no one was hurt, well, except the varglings.”

“And we managed to safely procure some of the beasts’ bodies intact.” Celeborn nodded to Haldir.

“I would like to formally request Triwathiel be in charge of her magical training.” Haldir stated, “manipulating the river the way she had under emotional duress it is my professional opinion that makes me say she is best here in Lothlorien for the time being.”

“I cannot agree more,” Celeborn acquiesced, “I can only imagine what she could do if we gave her to a human village.”

_ Human village? Is there not a human city or a school I could go to?  _ Leigh Anne frowned.

“Excuse me, but how long does it take to master magic?” Leigh Anne asked.

Nonchalantly, Celeborn answered.

“A couple of centuries give or take a decade.” 

Leigh Anne blanched.

“A couple of-” 

“Humans do not commonly possess magic,” Haldir interrupted her and she saw the glint of amusement in his eyes despite his professional facade, “but Triwathiel can manage to help you with the basics. Considering the strength of that storm and the fact that you are human we may benefit from seeking out the aid of a wizard.”

“A wizard would likely know how to navigate the path back to your world as well.” Celeborn claimed.

“Where will we find a wizard?” 

“They tend to not stay in one place for very long, but a couple have territories they regularly inhabit. I can send a couple of scouts to check.” Haldir answered. 

“We will also need you to examine her trail, I believe you had some scouts do so, but we would rather you follow it until it ends and report back what you find.” Celeborn claimed and Haldir nodded in understanding. “In the meantime she can study under Triwathiel.”

“So I’m not going with him?” Leigh Anne peered over at Galadriel.

“That will not be necessary for he will move quicker on his own.” Celeborn answered, “now that you have revealed you have magic it is possible it may have had something to do with your arrival in Middle-Earth. To return to your own world it may take a studious and diligent nature.”

Leigh Anne couldn’t argue with that. It had not escaped her reasoning that her magic might have something to do with her worldly misplacement and Celeborn may very well be right. She would also hate to accidentally bring down a typhoon and knock out their tree city.

“All right, but I do humbly request lessons in self-defense or in fighting,” Leigh Anne requested assertively, “if it matters I was thinking about how useless I was when the varglings were attacking and that I wanted to help in some way. Perhaps it was this mentality that provoked the storm into being. Is that possible?”

Haldir glanced from Leigh Anne to his rulers curiously. Galadriel was smiling without showing her teeth.

“It is intent that matters most.” She said.

“Triwathiel can help with that as well, we will not turn down whatever means that might help. Elven magic we are accustomed to, but if you believe physical training will be beneficial we will not deny you that.” Celeborn looked to Haldir. “We should not impose all responsibility on Triwathiel during this time, assign one of your wardens to oversee a few sparring lessons in your absence.”

_ Does this mean when Haldir returns he will oversee my training afterward?  _ Leigh Anne already felt like she was pushing too much and decided on her next words carefully.

“Again I summoned the storm feeling useless,” Leigh Anne claimed, “and I had been saved twice by Haldir’s archers and Triwathiel’s healing powers. I can’t hoard your hospitality and demand their time without doing  _ something _ in return. Give me a job or-or menial tasks that other people don’t want to do.”

The three elves just stared at her, Leigh Anne held her ground firmly.

“ _ Please _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all my reviewers from Part I, let's get this show moving!
> 
> I'm going for a harder "soft" magic system since Lord of the Rings has a VERY soft magical system that is just begging for more elaboration. I don't want to get too handsy with it, but I'm going to take full creative license with Leigh Anne's brand of magic and blame it all on her being human (mostly!) Haldir will be heading off here soon for a chapter or two, but that leaves room for someone else to return. No worries though, Haldir will be back before you know it!
> 
> I just really want to avoid Leigh Anne's story being solely about romance, I want her and Haldir to be their own person and the romance be just a big, lovely bonus! I also just want to have fun writing Leigh Anne's observations and interactions with Lothlorien, the fairest realm of the elves! 
> 
> Thank you again for sticking around and let me know what you think thus far!


	12. An Elven Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Leigh Anne attends an elven funeral and makes a promise to Haldir.

Haldir was the one to explain the silence of Lothlorien - the elves have not held a funeral for a long time. 

His task to personally track Leigh Anne and Schatzi’s journey would begin once the final rites were completed and even then Leigh Anne urged him not to rush. As worried as she was that varglings might be present in Louisa’s backyard Leigh Anne had to remind herself she had no means of dealing with them if that were the case. 

After a restful night in an open-air latibule not terribly high off the ground and attached to Triwathiel’s home it was explained, by Haldir once more, that the latibule was Lorn’s. Since Gannon’s disappearance Lorn had taken to sleeping with her sister and, it would seem, she would continue to do so until her wedding.

Standing quietly off in the corner feeling woefully misplaced Leigh Anne glanced over at Lorn standing at Triwathiel’s elbow as the lord and lady spoke low and softly to her several spaces away. Lady Galadriel placed a wreath of downy blossoms in Triwathiel’s hands and the final stone was placed on the delicately arranged mound before them.

Standing within the same grove and at Lorn’s shoulder was the tall and lithe figure of Orophin. Leigh Anne had been so sure it was Lorn and Rumil who were to marry. Lorn who seemed so friendly and Orophin with his unsmiling face made an unlikely pair. Rumil had gone off to stand amongst other elves in the trees which meant Leigh Anne couldn’t see him from where she stood. 

The land allotted to burial appeared small although Haldir alluded to a larger cemetery. Beyond Gannon’s cairn Leigh Anne could see a number of others given over to nature. A swell of daffodils shrouded one and a spray of violet vervain and clouds of bronze fennel across another and so on and so forth. The waves of foliage covered by a veil of golden mallorn. The leaves shadowing Leigh Anne and Haldir swayed with the morning breeze, the sunlight dappling their clothes.

Leigh Anne naturally couldn’t hear what Galadriel was saying to Triwathiel and she knew it was likely everyone else could. She glanced at Haldir out of her peripheral vision and fixed her jaw. He looked haunted and for the first time since she met him, tired.

She bunched her hands into her tunic, the same blue from the night before. Apparently black nor white were the norm for funerals here, but opalescent silver and gold. No one thought to give Leigh Anne an appropriate garment and she had to assume what Haldir said was fine - he too wore his gray cloak and had at least switched out the muddy look with a pair of green pants and fresh boots. 

More than once Leigh Anne pressed a finger to her moonstone when the grief threatened to bubble over. She discovered, to her mortification, her tears summoned rain. Already the funeral, despite the sunny weather, experienced a number of light drizzles that she just barely managed to breathe through. 

Leigh Anne suspected her sun showers were what kept Haldir at her side instead of that of his comrades. Gannon was a march warden, surely Haldir needed to be among their number.

“I will see them again soon enough,” he told her in a soft murmur when she spoke her thoughts aloud. Haldir had to lean in so that she could hear him, a conscious effort on his part she appreciated. She kept her eyes firmly on Triwathiel and ignored his breath on her ear. 

Haldir spoke true, he left her side at Galadriel’s parting elven words and made his way to elves emerging from the trees. Awkwardly Leigh Anne waited for elves to pass her by and felt some of their stares. Leigh Anne felt relieved under their open curiosity, it was better than the bite of Orophin’s glare when he followed after Lorn and Triwathiel. Idly she wondered if she had earned his dislike for simply being the messenger of Gannon’s death or if it was because she was human or both. 

It certainly couldn’t be that Orophin thought Leigh Anne was somehow involved in Gannon’s death. She sighed and once more thought of the varglings’ presence in her world.

Celeborn and Galadriel had spread themselves among the remaining elves leaving Leigh Anne a solitary moment to stare softly onto Gannon’s final worldly destination.

She felt distinctly selfish when her thoughts turned inward and away from Gannon and the grief of his widow and his friends. Leigh Anne thought darkly of what would happen to her if she were to die in Middle-Earth. Would she wake up in her own reality or die for certain here and that was that? 

Fiercely she thought of something happy when the sky suddenly appeared downcast and a breeze implied it might become something more when spindly bits of auburn hair fell from their plait and into her face.

Putting a hand to her moonstone once more Leigh Anne thought hard about her first English class in Berlin, her first paycheck from the school, meeting Louisa. It was intent that mattered? She pondered harder and felt a presence return to her side. Who was it? When did she close her eyes?

“Lady Leigh Anne?” Haldir’s voice slid into her thoughts.

“Just Leigh Anne, please.” She opened her eyes, feeling clear-headed. The breeze whistled low and the day had brightened once more. Leigh Anne sighed with relief and smiled weakly at Haldir. He frowned and stepped back, she saw his arm retract. When had he touched her? Her left arm tingles where he placed his hand a second before, but all Leigh Anne could recall was urging on a blue sky with puffy, white clouds. A decent day for flying a kite.

Leigh Anne ran a tongue against the blunt edges of her eye-teeth in thought.

“I would like to introduce you to your sparring teacher,” claimed Haldir. Was it her or did he seem slightly off-kilter too? Then she shook her head and inwardly scolded herself. He buried a friend today, of course he was off-kilter. It had nothing to do with her.

“Oh,” she said intelligently and Haldir cocked his head.

“Are you all right?” he inquired.

“Who is it?” Leigh Anne evaded his question. He paused briefly before gesturing for her to follow him. He brought her through a narrow grassy trail that led to a small group of elves talking amongst themselves. At their arrival they stopped and glanced at them in a way that signified it was really Leigh Anne they were interested in.

Haldir led her directly to an elf that wore his clothes a little tighter to his body whereas Haldir preferred a looser style. He wore a stiff collar in a similar fashion to Celeborn’s outfit that hugged his neck nearly to his jawline. Leigh Anne met his sharp eyes almost immediately and something tightened in her chest.

_ I’m going to have to come up with synonyms for silver _ , she thought dryly as the new elf’s eyes were narrow and twinkled coldly. His arms were folded over his chest, but the tip of his long braid fell into the crease of his left hand into his right bicep.

“This is one of our newest recruits,” Haldir claimed, “Lady Leigh Anne, meet Ceryl. Ceryl, Lady Leigh Anne.”

The tightness in Leigh Anne’s chest prevented her from correcting Haldir. Ceryl tilted his head slightly, emphasizing that, like Orophin, he stood taller than his senior warden. Leigh Anne remembered Haldir telling her that march wardens didn’t work as a unit like their guard did, but reported directly to Celeborn and Galadriel whereas the guard reported to their captain. They were individual agents so to speak and in that Leigh Anne understood they had specialized talents and skills.

It was evident the other elves around them, Leigh Anne noticed, were not a collective of archers or patrol guards. It was not just their appearance that made them stand apart, they braided their hair and wore gray cloaks just like the others, but the comprehension of her language on their faces.

They understood Common Speech when Haldir made it plain very few Lothlorien elves understood it. 

Leigh Anne felt the other elves seemingly come closer although she could have sworn none of them took a step. 

“ _ Mae govannen _ , Ceryl, it’s nice to meet you.” Leigh Anne felt the words leave her mouth more smoothly this time and managed to smile brightly at Ceryl. The elf toyed with the end of his braid, brandishing a cool smile of his own.

He shot out a greeting in elven Leigh Anne hadn’t heard yet and left her blinking owlishly at the length of it. Not to be put off Leigh Anne thought of flying kites and fluffy clouds, although her heart was picking up speed beneath the intense stares of the other wardens, and pressed on. Unintentionally she latched onto Haldir’s presence like a lifeline.

“Thank you for taking time to work with me.” Ceryl said something back in elvish and Leigh Anne faltered.

“S-Sorry, I thought all wardens understood Common Speech…” Leigh Anne looked worriedly at Haldir and was surprised to see Haldir frowning deeply at Ceryl.

“We do.” One of the other wardens finally spoke. He spoke gently and disapprovingly. Leigh Anne was relieved his tone was directed at Ceryl and not at her.

“ _ Ceryl _ .” Haldir said simply and finally the younger warden’s facade fell and he appeared properly chagrined with little effort. Leigh Anne gave Haldir a questioning look, to his credit he looked apologetic.

“He will meet with you on the days in between lessons from Triwathiel.” Haldir explained, then added, “he won’t give you trouble.” For good measure Haldir gave Ceryl another firm look. The younger warden gave a petulant scowl, the look marred his elvish beauty and in doing so made Leigh Anne feel less threatened. 

“We’ll get along just fine, no worries.” Spurred on by the tightness in her chest, Leigh Anne gave Ceryl another bright smile, this time one as sharp as knives. It came from somewhere deep down, the kind she wore on days an older student was being particularly difficult except worse. Ceryl’s face darkened, but glanced at Haldir and then looked at nobody. 

A cold breeze blew past them, but no one acknowledged it. 

If Haldir noticed the exchange he said nothing of it. Leigh Anne’s smile lost it’s edge when he led her away from the clearing and slowly back towards the stone-inlaid path that curved its way back into the heart of Caras Galadhon.

“Thank you, Haldir, for arranging all of this.” Leigh Anne said quietly, the emotions of the funeral an aching pain in her chest from before surged back to the forefront and she touched her moonstone again. 

This magic business wasn’t very magical to her, so far the storm she summoned nearly sapped her of her life and now every strong feeling brought forth its own rain cloud. It was going to be difficult to be an introvert here if every elf was clued in to the nuances of her emotions with every drizzle.

“Do you recall what I promised you?” Haldir replied as they made their way down a narrow street of elven establishments. Leigh Anne caught a glimpse of them earlier as she made her way to the funeral a respectable distance from Triwathiel and Lorn, but now found herself craning her neck to catch glimpses of a forge, a shop full of scrolls and the smell of baked bread and elderberry.

“That no harm would come to me.” Leigh Anne said feeling small and Haldir nodded.

“That promise still stands, but now I need you to make a promise to me.” He led her to one of the main grand staircases that wound a great tree that would eventually take her to Triwathiel’s dwelling. 

“My promise regards your physical wellbeing, I could not protect you from yourself when the storm nearly took your life.” Leigh Anne bit her bottom lip, but managed to keep his gaze.

“That wasn’t-”

“Ceryl is the only one currently without a task, that’s why I am leaving him to be your temporary teacher. Will this sparring practice help you with your magic as you said?” Haldir, to Leigh Anne, didn’t seem any more pleased to be leaving Ceryl in charge than she did, but she nodded.

“It is easier for me to manage my stress and anxiety when I run and work out, I believe it will help me in this case too. It’s a plus to learn how to defend myself here as well.” Leigh Anne reasoned out loud, Haldir tilted his head slightly once more and caught off guard Leigh Anne smiled at the effect of it.

“Despite what you might think, I  _ am _ in fairly good shape,” Leigh Anne yelped with irritation, suddenly understanding the incredulous look on his face, “for a  _ human _ .”

“So you are not displeased with my leaving you with Ceryl?” he asked now amused, Leigh Anne felt her cheeks warm. A part of her, she realized, did not like the idea of Haldir leaving her behind.

“Like I said, we will get along just fine.” Leigh Anne said with a huff.

“Then you will be taking lessons with Triwathiel on your magic.” Haldir summed up neatly, his face now quite serious. 

“I want you to promise me you will protect yourself better in the future.” He said, Leigh Anne raised an eyebrow at him.

“If your magic is what brought you here to begin with,” he pointed out, “it may be good fortune you did not succumb to it then.”

_ I hadn’t thought of that. _ Leigh Anne blinked.

“So you’re saying I’m relying too much on that good fortune and not enough on myself.” Leigh Anne elaborated, “I can get behind that.” 

“Why do you look so relieved?” Leigh Anne narrowed her eyes on Haldir who calmly closed his eyes in apparent relief.

“I am relieved you understood me,” Haldir meant it, “we would be devastated to lose another friend so soon.”

Just returning from a funeral made his words more profound and Leigh Anne deflated. 

“I will work hard, Haldir.” She insisted, then added more for herself than him, “I will be ok.”

As if they both remembered her time in the  _ flet _ after crossing the Celebrant, the night he told her about the orc raiders that killed his parents and she told him of her sister, Haldir met Leigh Anne’s gaze with his own and his mouth set in a grim line that, oddly enough, made her think of Celeborn’s own grim expression. Briefly she tried to imagine a younger Haldir who had to take on the parental role regarding his little brothers. How old was he at the time? Were Orophin and Rumil old enough to care for themselves? Who took care of  _ him _ ?

The memory surged hotly between them. Leigh Anne wondered if he regrets telling her about his parents the same way she regrets saying too much of her own. She wanted to take the information away from him and lock it back up in her head where it belonged. 

“Tell you what,” Leigh Anne burst out when she saw Haldir’s lips part to speak, “I promise to protect myself better if you do the same. I’m learning more about my magic, but you’re going back out there with the dangerous animals.”

At this he smirked.

“In my long career as a march warden I have encountered worse than the varglings,” he readjusted his strap to his quiver. Was it just her or did she actually hear a trace of  _ boasting _ in his voice? He had not worn his weapons to the funeral, but had since equipped them. “Most creatures we hear long before we see them.”

“Exactly how good  _ is _ elven hearing?” Leigh Anne asked and it was Haldir’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“ _ Quite _ well.” He said simply, leaving it to her to wonder, which she did.

Leigh Anne initially wanted to smile and say anything, something witty if she could manage it, but she saw Triwathiel out of the corner of her eye. Haldir turned to see who had caught Leigh Anne’s attention and once again the light-heartedness of their conversation ebbed away in the face of Triwathiel’s pallid face and her two leaf pendants on her chest. Lorn walked beside her face tight with concern.

_ “Then how did Gannon not hear them?” _ Leigh Anne thought, but did not ask. Not now.

Instead she said:

“Promise me and I’ll promise you.” She heard herself saying, the trees swayed forlornly as if they too mourned. The breeze caught their hair, Leigh Anne caught a glimpse of one of Haldir’s pointed ears and felt acutely aware of how round her ears were in comparison. Finally her eyes landed on Haldir’s and felt her neck warm at being caught staring.

“I promise to return completely unscathed.” Now, she definitely knew, he was boasting. He looked mostly serious, but Haldir’s mouth was rising and Leigh Anne sensed a challenge.

“And you might return to a dry home.” Leigh Anne replied clearly referring to her sun showers and the unfortunate rainstorm that came down on Caras Galadhon in the middle of last night. Afternoon was approaching but the leaves and flowers were beaded with residue and the buildings and ground were still damp.

“You will get better, you already have.” He encouraged obviously sensing her discomfort on the subject although Leigh Anne brought it up herself.

He had to finally leave her and Leigh Anne felt his absence immediately. 

Several minutes later of strenuous climbing Leigh Anne managed to escape the heavy atmosphere of the mourning elves only to want to indulge in her own misery. Unable to do so without bringing down a potential flood Leigh Anne’s frustration mounted.

Lorn’s latibule she would be staying in for the time being did not require Leigh Anne to pass through Triwathiel’s main dwelling. Triwathiel’s home was, by the look of other dwellings around her, was a standard building seemingly shaped like a box but Leigh Anne had been fooled. Once inside it was clear the flooring and ceiling were cleverly engineered to hide storage spaces and hatches for easy movement. There were no locks, not even of the magical variety, and more ropes (Leigh Anne could only imagine their purpose was to further travel when branches were not accommodating) were in tidy coils hanging from prongs in the walls.

Leigh Anne would not intrude in Triwathiel’s home even though she was told she was welcome to and the owner herself was not home (privacy seemed to be both a privilege and a rare luxury given how easily accessible Triwathiel’s home seems to be). Instead Leigh Anne took the narrow stairs curled around Triwathiel’s home and ascended to a small hideaway house secretly stowed away behind ample mallorn leaves.

The latibule was petite, much like Lorn herself, painted a pale sky color that almost blended in the silver of the elven city. Pink and violet flowers were painted along a whimsical green vine around the doorway. The door itself was a charming gray with more floral designs applied to it. As she originally imagined a home of Lorn’s to look like a number of flowers crowded window boxes and a number of creepers were given allowance to scramble up a trellis and onto the roof.

Stepping inside made it very apparent not much could fit within the latibule’s interior. It was evident Lorn hadn’t been inside her own room for a while and had moved most of her things down to Triwathiel and Gannon’s home several weeks ago to stay near her sister. 

Leigh Anne took a deep breath, her memories snagging on her own sister. When her emotions stabilized she took stock of her recently acquired lodgings.

Someone had been in and left her a tiny stack of her old clothes (now clean) with her satchel carefully placed on her winter coat. The arrowhead she found at the burned den among the varglings’ corpses had been placed on a gray cord to be fashioned into a necklace then placed on top of her satchel so it was the first thing she would notice. Picking it up to scrutinize it she found someone had also inscribed something on it - in elvish.

Wondering what could possibly be inscribed on an arrowhead she picked up her satchel and noticed it’s increased weight.

Flipping open the flap Leigh Anne discovered a thick leather journal embossed with the three-tiered leaf that she now recognized as a mallorn leaf and a number of beautiful filigrees and fleur-de-lis. Unlatching the buckle she confirmed the blank pages, of fine parchment paper, were indeed meant for journaling.

“Oh my…” she continued to pull out a number of ink bottles, round little glass containers that stirred something intimate, in Leigh Anne’s academic heart, filled with black ink and a couple of dipping pens with touchy nibs. Feeling overwhelmed she pulled out the heftiest item of all with a note clipped to the front of a book. The book itself was written in what Leigh Anne saw as the sweeping arcs of elvish, but the note was decidedly in a different language with straight lines and deliberate stiff angles.

What’s this second language? Whatever it is going by the note clipped to the front it was clear she was expected to be able to read it.

Something dawned on Leigh Anne.

She felt lightheaded and sat down on Lorn’s old bed at the implications of the note. Her English and the Common Speech were close enough verbally, but it was very likely they would not share the same written alphabet. Leigh Anne guessed whoever wrote the note might be trying to tell her this book was a bilingual primer for her to start studying elvish with the aid of the Common Speech (which everyone would naturally assume she already knew in written form) and why not? 

Here in Middle-Earth, unless a human establishment somewhere shared a similar alphabet to her English, Leigh Anne might be completely illiterate. She might not be able to read a single book here.

_ If I’m right,  _ Leigh Anne thought,  _ I’m learning to speak elvish AND write in elvish AND write in common speech. _

Instead of rain, a gust of wind rattled Lorn’s door and Leigh Anne shoved the panic down forcefully making the wind falter and ebb abruptly.

_ Get a fucking grip! _ Leigh Anne snarled at herself, angry at her reaction. She would not further encroach on these people and their mourning with her self-pity. Determined to remain angry and fueled by her shame she brought the items to the desk and arranged them neatly then sat down.

If she couldn’t make heads or tails of the letters then she would practice writing them. Until tomorrow when her lessons with Ceryl would begin and the day after with Triwathiel she could do something productive without bothering anyone else. But before that…

_ This is a journal, I will treat it as such. _

After several first attempts at getting the pen to work and a few spots and blots later Leigh Anne managed to write well into the day until the pain in her stomach urged her to get up and brave Caras Galadhon once more. This time knowing Haldir was already on his way to track her original trail and Triwathiel caught in the throes of grieving. Leigh Anne felt like she had when she got off the plane in Germany. Plenty of baggage and without friends, but she made it once before, she could do it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter I know, but I felt satisfied with ending the chapter this way. 
> 
> Also, no one needs to know how much reading I put into trying to figure out a fictional race's funeral process. 
> 
> I found connecting her weather magic with Leigh Anne's emotions to be an interesting one, it certainly wouldn't be anyone's superpower of choice (personally I would want to be able to fly) and I find broadcasting one's emotions out to the world is discomforting for most people who are afraid to be considered weak or pathetic when they do. Imagine if every time you got stressed out and anxious the weather responded and if you are the only one who is known to control the weather...phew. 
> 
> Then there's Ceryl, he's going to be fun.
> 
> Just finished reading "Fire" by Kristin Cashore for the first time, I definitely recommend it! :)


	13. Following the Trail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leigh Anne discovers something on the trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an extra long chapter for your patience! Thank you for reading and leave a comment at the end! I would love to read your thoughts!

All things considered Leigh Anne was impressed with herself. After writing (in English) the rest of the morning away and steadily into the late afternoon she left Lorn’s latibule in search of food. She was primarily interested in the smell of bread and elderberry she caught a whiff of earlier. With the weight of her linguistic revelation Leigh Anne made her way back down the stairs and mentally braced herself with the few elvish words she knew (which since she was being honest with herself was approximately five words). 

Since the funeral ended many of the elves remained unseen while Haldir spoke with Leigh Anne, but hours later and no emergency to be had to deploy the population many elves were walking about albeit with solemn expressions. Leigh Anne stepped off the last curling stair as lightly as she could, but, like before, she felt the stares. 

_ I’m being weird, just let it go. _ Leigh Anne put on a friendly face although her mouth felt dry, she ached to touch her moonstone and forcibly did not allow herself to do so. 

The floor of Caras Galadhon was cobbled masonry that glittered and the occasional patch of beaten down dirt worn by the padded feet of elves. Although Leigh Anne understood the residences were upstairs in the seemingly unending trees the businesses were down here. Bypassing the back of the elven sculptures staring toward Valar she maneuvered through a winding stone path laced with lavender and wild indigo toward the first strand of buildings.

Like the ascending staircases bordered with flowering lattice and large, open arches that further emphasized the grace of elves (and Leigh Anne’s very real fear she may stumble and fall right through one) the buildings had no doors. Instead there were vast entryways and once Leigh Anne walked up to one she found they were connected by an arcade of decorative arches. This did not pass her by before, Leigh Anne was subconsciously aware of the structural uniqueness of Caras Galadhon, but had been distracted by Haldir’s leaving and the funeral before. Now she had all the time in the world to gawk at the way the arcades seemed to organically weave between the businesses as if the storefronts sprouted up wherever they please.

The funeral had taken place in a different direction, but now Leigh Anne could ignore her mounting anxiety and the inevitable elven stares in the face of culture shock. It seemed wherever there was space for it there was green. A carpet of sedum and moss sprouted on roofs and flat surfaces, coneflowers with blue petals and black eyes lingered in windows and mauve creepers scrambled successfully along glittering mortar. 

She nearly walked by the bakery had it not been for her growling stomach.

Inside there was a cloud of sweet-smelling smoke and the tangy scent of berry jam that made her mouth salivate. Not giving herself a moment to think twice she walked in and was immediately assaulted by a vast array of bread rolled in a number of different ways and many,  _ many _ elves. In fact it was the greatest concentration of elves Leigh Anne had encountered in one place since meeting Haldir. There was an immediate discomfort that made her heart rate skyrocket and her palms sweat.

She felt so  _ grungy _ and inwardly winced.

Leigh Anne must have seriously underestimated the number of elves living in Lothlorien and their appetites. To have gone from barely seeing any elves to a plethora of them was almost too much for her senses to handle.

_ Breathe in, breathe out. _ Leigh Anne idled time away in the back, too anxious with too few ways to communicate to draw attention to herself when it happens anyway. Someone noticed the first human visitor to Caras Galadhon (ever?) was present and Leigh Anne found herself in the spotlight. The consumers and the bakers across the counter of rolled and glazed breads stared at her. Leigh Anne raised a hand reluctantly.

“ _ Mae-Mae govannen… _ ” Then when no one said or did anything she gestured to the display of tarts. It was then she realized, with a plummeting sense of sheer dread, she didn’t have any money. 

_ What am I expecting? Charity? Why didn’t I ask Haldir about this? _ Leigh Anne was about to start making excuses (in English) and make a limp exit (despite her protesting stomach) when a cacophony of elvish talk filled the enclosed atmosphere. The elves here seemed to have the collective response to her existence that would have appalled Orophin as they eagerly reached out to her and chattered on and on in their incomprehensible language. The one hand Leigh Anne made contact with thrust her forward and the bakers joined in gleefully.

To think it was only a couple of nights ago Leigh Anne feared the elves were predators (except for Haldir) as they lingered in the woods unseen by her. Whereas before she feared seeing their faces in the shadow of the mallorn here they were careful of jostling her too much (although they were naturally unaware of her spiking heart rate) and a couple gesticulated to her glasses apparently curious about their function.

Leigh Anne caught “Haldir” and “Gannon” in their flowing voices, but that was the extent of her comprehension. One of the bakers, charmingly bedecked in an apron not unlike a human one from her modern world and splashes of flour, busied himself preparing a platter of their tarts, scones, muffins, more lembas and other pastries she hadn’t a name for and made to hand them to her.

“No, I’m sorry - shoot! I don’t have money!” She knew they didn’t understand her anymore than she understood them, but she shook her head and pointed to the coins cupped in one of the elf’s hands and shook her head. 

“ _ Le athae! _ ” Hoping she was saying the right ‘thank you’ Leigh Anne began backing out of the crowd when the baker continued to urge her to take the proffered platter. The other elves were encouraging her as well so she took the baked goods with some idea of what was going on.

Gannon’s name was repeated once more and the baker was speaking slower than his fellow elves, a word she thought might be another way of saying ‘thank you’ as it was so close to her own. With the platter, a rectangular ceramic hardly larger than her two hands together piled high with carbs, Leigh Anne looked around and saw a few of the elves put their hands to their chests like Haldir often did. 

A couple of others spoke slower to follow the baker’s example, but Leigh Anne felt more than heard their underlying sincerity. It was here that Leigh Anne understood Triwathiel’s terrible relief at knowing Gannon was coming home although not alive. Gannon’s name came and went like the rise and fall of water, he was clearly missed and missed all the more when his body was missing. The relief of their finding closure was palpable.

Leigh Anne secretly aspired for the elves to like her for more than bringing them the news of a loved one’s death. She gripped the platter a little harder and repeated her thank you with all the gratitude she could muster and the baker did a shrug and a hand gesture she imagined meant ‘no problem’. Leigh Anne couldn’t help the emotion flooding up to her eyes.

Outside the bakery’s door a sudden downpour whipped into existence.

By the time she could pull herself together Leigh Anne left the bakery and out into a newly moistened Caras Galadhon. She refrained from stepping into any more stores for the time being and just walked along the arcade and peered into them. As she walked she picked a tart at random and the raspberry filling oozed out messily. There was a momentary panic Leigh Anne knew she looked as primitive as she felt then carried on anyways.

She passed by other elves and none of them approached her. A couple of times they said something in passing that she didn’t know but sounded kind. Like Orophin there were elves who were standoffish and cast her more wary than gracious looks.

Eventually she made her way back up to the latibule when the crickets began to chirp. Not wanting to exhaust her supply of sweet bread Leigh Anne stashed the squares of lembas and the remaining pastries into a drawer in their wrappings. She was just about to decide if she wanted to practice writing when there was a knock at the door.

She opened it to Lorn who motioned for Leigh Anne to follow her.

As twilight unfurled her brilliant red, citrus and lemony skirts Leigh Anne followed Lorn down to Triwathiel’s home. Lorn pushed through the no-lock door and found herself thrust into a family event and Leigh Anne was the outsider. Orophin was present and very much made her feel that way. Triwathiel was putting an assortment of food on her table with long-tined forks and wicked sharp knives, then a deep-set spoon for the bowls of the steaming soup already at their places on the table.

There were four place settings and Leigh Anne felt the same overwhelming gratitude that assaulted her in the bakery. Orophin’s curmudgeonly expression didn’t soften until Lorn stepped over and gave him a few brusque words.

“You didn’t have to…” Leigh Anne had to struggle past the lump in her throat and Triwathiel straightened, her face was gray and there were darkening bags beneath her eyes, but she still smiled.

“Of course I had to,” she said with ingrained hostess etiquette laced with poignant sadness. This time Leigh Anne did touch her moonstone and Triwathiel came closer.

“The rain earlier, during the funeral…”

“Yeah, that was me.” Leigh Anne tried to laugh but it came up as a weak chuckle.

“And in the middle of the night?”

“Chances are still good it was me.” Leigh Anne tried to lighten the mood once more and failed miserably. Triwathiel’s smile didn’t falter.

“Just a little while ago I think there was a flash flood…?”

Leigh Anne gave her a deadpanned look. A little flutter of joy sprang up in her chest when Triwathiel’s smile looked a little less sad.

“It doesn’t rain that much in Lothlorien.” Triwathiel touched Leigh Anne’s arm gently and her breathing hitched as her emotions roiled.

“It’s not about me, Triwathiel.” Leigh Anne stated adamantly. Off to the side Orophin and Lorn were locked in a low-spoken conversation, the nature of it could have been about anything, neither of them were looking over at Leigh Anne and Triwathiel. Out of the corner of her eye Leigh Anne saw Orophin grasp Lorn’s hand and Lorn leaned down toward him. Leigh Anne immediately looked away and then wished she could also look away from the blatant grief in Triwathiel’s eyes.

What was she even doing here?

“This is a time for family, are you sure you want me here?” Leigh Anne asked. “I can take the food upstairs…”

“You will do no such thing,” Triwathiel admonished gently and she took both of Leigh Anne’s hands in hers. “We do not invite you here out of pity, but because we want you here.  _ Even  _ Orophin.”

Orophin’s face tilted away from Lorn’s with a scowl at the mention of his name and Lorn giggled, she placed a quick peck on his lips and winked at Leigh Anne as Orophin became flustered. He met Leigh Anne’s eyes then swiftly looked away, apparently not pleased with Lorn’s PDA in front of the human but not entirely unhappy by it either.

Triwathiel pointed out the seat Leigh Anne should take and Orophin grumbled across from her. Lorn swatted harmlessly at his crossed arms and he reluctantly unfolded them. Lorn spoke to Leigh Anne with the same cheer as before just a tad dulled by the solemn atmosphere.

“He doesn’t seem to want me here,” Leigh Anne prompted for the sake of a more interesting subject change. Triwathiel and Lorn took their seats and Triwathiel translated for all of them.

“Haldir asked us to keep an eye on you and don’t worry,” Triwathiel flashed a happier smile at Leigh Anne than before, “he didn’t  _ have _ to ask me or Lorn, or Rumil for that matter.”

“Where is Rumil?” Leigh Anne asked as she thought of Haldir looking out for her, she felt a tightness in her chest remembering he was not here.

“I imagine with his friends, they’re a tight knit group.” Triwathiel glanced once more at Leigh Anne before translating a new slew of words from Lorn while Orophin ate silently.

“She’s wondering how you like her room?” Triwatheil cut into what looked like a small chicken breast roasted in herbs and slathered in a brown glaze and put her bit on her plate. Lorn claimed more of the food than either Orophin or Triwathiel, Leigh Anne took a little bit of everything.

“I love it.” She really did, already she was longing for the solitude of it where she could parse through her memory and the new knowledge that claimed her undivided attention every waking hour. It was quaint, it was quiet, although it was high off the ground unlike a  _ flet _ it had  _ walls _ .

“She’s happy you do,” then when Lorn was eating and Leigh Anne knew she didn’t ask anything further Triwathiel gave her a sly look.

“Have you discovered the hidden door up there?” Triwathiel grinned almost impishly, an expression she hadn’t seen yet on the elf woman’s face. When Leigh Anne shook her head and asked why Triwathiel gave Lorn such a look that clued Lorn in she was being talked about.

“Lorn made it herself when I was out on an extended mission and thought I never knew about it. She’d been sneaking Orophin in for years thinking I was oblivious.” Leigh Anne nearly choked on her maybe-chicken meat. A mixed feeling oscillating between amusement and her own grief caught her so off guard not even her weather magic seemed to make heads or tails of it.

“When did you learn of it?” Leigh Anne shoved her sorrow down while simultaneously scrounging up a bright smile that wasn’t quite plastic.

“Immediately, Haldir had followed Orophin once and saw it. We never said anything, but we made a point of interrupting every now and again.” Triwathiel relished the walk down memory lane even when Gannon cropped up. “Gannon didn’t think it was right at first, but then I reminded him of all the times Lorn got between us  _ then _ he got into it.”

Lorn made a sound that very likely meant she wanted in on a conversation about her. Triwathiel entertained Leigh Anne with an eye-crinkling grin before filling Lorn in. 

Leigh Anne had the delight to watch the mortification blossom on both Lorn  _ and _ Orophin’s face. 

There was some small part deep down that felt a little ashamed, but how Leigh Anne remembered being sent down by her own parents with popcorn or questions about food to interrupt any sort of nefarious activity her own sister would be up to in their basement with her boyfriends. This was apparently a sport among both humans and elves.

Orophin attempted to regain his composure, but catching Leigh Anne’s eyes once more she had to laugh. Language was not a barrier now as complete understanding settled on all parties as Lorn scowled then enthused about possibly Triwathiel’s transgressions that were not translated for Leigh Anne. Triwathiel whipped out her elvish and lauded words back at Lorn who joyously said something about Gannon and Triwathiel that even had Orophin putting his face in one of his hands.

“My sister and I are just the same.”  _ Were. _ She inwardly corrected.

_ Were. _

“Oh, I didn’t know you had a sister. What is her name?” Triwathiel picked at her food once more as Lorn smoothed some of Orophin’s barely concealed embarrassment. Leigh Anne remembered a face similar to her own with hair more brown than red. Her sister wanted to be a marine biologist, a journalist, a photographer, a tour guide, anything that would allow her to keep moving around. She had despised being stationary. Leigh Anne was always envious her sister didn’t need to wear glasses or get braces. She stood out where Leigh Anne blended in.

“Her name is-” 

_ Was. _

Leigh Anne’s voice hitched at the same time Lorn spoke up and whatever she said made Orophin’s head snap up and he gave her such an unabashedly dumbfounded look Leigh Anne’s emotions ached from whiplash. 

Leigh Anne started laughing without ever knowing what exactly Lorn told her sister in which Triwathiel intentionally said in the common speech, “Oh, please, best not tell Leigh Anne, she’s sleeping in that room.”

Leigh Anne gave Triwathiel a suspicious sideways glance.

“Should I find a new place to stay?” Leigh Anne asked lightly.

“No worries, the bed is new.” Leigh Anne looked over at Lorn who promptly began waving her arms in a desperate flailing to void whatever she thought Triwatheil told Leigh Anne. Playing along Leigh Anne shook her head in faux disapproval and relished Orophin hiding his face behind his hand as he ate.

When dinner was done and cleared Leigh Anne dismissed herself. Despite the language barrier the conversation was hardly ever stilted due to Triwathiel’s star hostess demeanor. Yet when the candles were put out in favor of glowing flowers and the room darkened with the sky Triwathiel’s good mood began to slip away and her face grayed. Tonight she would go to sleep knowing Gannon was properly put to rest, she could heal, she can now move forward and learn to accommodate the pain in everyday life. 

Leigh Anne did not envy her. She herself had moved out of her parents' house shortly after her sister’s funeral when it became too much to deal with both her parents' waspish grief and walking by the bedroom no one was allowed to touch. Heck, no one even opened the door! Leigh Anne imagined a layer of dust gathering over her sister’s favorite books, her camera and tripod, the unfinished college assignments. As far as she knows her sister’s favorite granola bars were probably still sitting in her parents’ pantry.

Triwathiel didn’t have to walk by a closed door, the empty space Gannon used to fill was at the table and in her bed. Lorn would have to do for a little while longer and then when she gets married? Leigh Anne’s heart ached for Triwathiel.

She said her good nights and although they weren’t yet on even ground Leigh Anne and Orophin’s gazes met once and he didn’t scowl, only a hint of a frown. Leigh Anne sighed. Baby steps. She didn’t know what Orophin really thought of her and decided it didn’t matter now. She could ask him herself when her elvish got better.

Which implied she would be here for a while. It took her roughly seven to eight months to start speaking in basic German without thinking in English first. What would she do if she was here even for half that long? Leigh Anne had been in Middle-Earth for over a week now although it felt like months. Surely at this point the law considered her lost, the initial explosion of worry dwindling down to resigned anguish then reluctantly to pained acceptance. 

Leigh Anne stopped right before entering the latibule to look up at the trees, the mallorn leaves were so thick there was no seeing the stars at this level. She looked about and caught Orophin saying farewell to Lorn at the edge of her visual of the staircase. He enveloped her in a hug that squeezed Leigh Anne’s heart, then he finally left and Lorn returned inside to what was going to be a rough night for Triwathiel.

Leigh Anne had been numb to the world for a handful of weeks and barely remembered her own sessions with her therapist. Faintly she recalled the advice given to her parents that “she needed time” and “when she fully processes it you’re going to need to be there for each other”.

Leigh Anne took off her tunic and shoes then slid into her modern world pants and cami sans the bra. She tried to humor herself with what the elven counterpart of a laundress and what she must have thought of her strange clothes but her thoughts spiraled. 

Her sister, she realized as her eyelids grew heavy, her sister would have loved it here.

* * *

Leigh Anne woke up groggy but determined. She sat up thinking of Haldir and the promise she made to him then thought of Ceryl and his haughty attitude. The wind rattled the branches outside her room and Leigh Anne nodded. The sooner she had a grasp of her magic the sooner they (meaning Galadriel and Triwathiel) could learn how she teleported she and Schatzi to Middle-Earth (if indeed she is the one responsible for it). Slipping out of bed and fitting herself into a green blouse with another external leather bodice and (to her surprise) tighter fitting pants and shoes she headed out right after sunrise.

Her workouts won’t be for another hour or so (by her guess, she needed a sundial to be sure) so she stuffed an apple pastry that tasted like a bear claw into her mouth on the way. Leigh Anne was adjusting her satchel on her shoulder when her feet carried her past Triwathiel’s door and her gut wrenched. Later she would check in on her and Lorn.

She padded down the remaining stairs and stepped onto the grass beaded with dew (she was pretty sure it wasn’t her doing) and headed toward the meeting place.

There was a small canteen of sorts near the guards training yard that Ceryl is to meet her at. Haldir showed her how to find it and briefly revealed to her where their armory was. There were several ways to get there but Leigh Anne chose a lengthy walk along the arched arcade and found she was not the only early riser.

Or maybe like Haldir not all elves sleep at night or for many days at a time. She hoped Haldir rested before he left.

Leigh Anne came upon several elves in their standard green and gray uniforms in the yard talking, yawning and just standing around. One was re-stringing a bow and a few others were fletching arrows. Some Leigh Anne realized were coming off duty when they removed additional external pieces she thought were a part of their uniform but were actually armor. Most of them glanced at her and the others she was sure did look at her but she didn’t spot them. They weren’t like the civilian elves yesterday in the bakery, these ones were languid and more withdrawn. Many were regarding her with cautious interest.

None of them approached her, she wondered if any of them understood common speech.

“My, you’re early.” Said a lazy voice attempting to sound detached. Leigh Anne turned around to find Ceryl sitting on the low stone wall surrounding the training yard twirling a dagger in one long fingered hand. He was trying to discomfort her, but his ploy wouldn’t work, she knew a child trying to look impressive for the wrong reasons when she saw one.

“I’m not comfortable training with real weapons yet.” Leigh Anne nervously glanced at the dagger, it was long and thin. Ceryl got down from the wall and approached her still holding the dagger but was no longer twirling it.

“Most elves learn how to wield weapons when we’re young,” he said seemingly off-handedly, he idly spun it one more time than slid it back along his leg somewhere she never saw. Leigh Anne remembered Triwathiel keeping a few daggers beneath her swaying tunic and imagined he did the same.

“What will we be doing this morning then?” Leigh Anne refused to be baited, let him try to be difficult; she could single-handedly manage a classroom full of kindergarteners.

He grinned wolfishly then started speaking in elvish. Leigh Anne didn’t suppress her glare.

“In words I understand please.” She glowered.

“I would like to see what I am truly working with.” He now said for her. “Let’s test your stamina and flexibility.”

“Is there a way you prefer to test me or do you want me just to touch my toes?” Leigh Anne inquired with patience. It was strange, Ceryl may have been unfriendly but how would he like it if he knew he was providing an adequate distraction? Her energies were focused on the upcoming workout, her body was preparing for a bout of disciplined adrenaline normally reserved for a morning run.

She wasn’t thinking of her sister, Gannon, Haldir, Schatzi, nothing worrisome. She just wanted to  _ move _ .

“Is it true you’ve been lost in the woods for months?” Ceryl asked with evidently feigned curiosity after telling Leigh Anne to start stretching. “I thought most humans starved after a few hours. How did you manage it?”

“We do not  _ starve _ after a few hours,” Leigh Anne said pleasantly enough as she clasped her hands and reached for the sky relishing the pull in her muscles, “although some of us certainly act like it sometimes, myself included.”

“And I wasn’t lost for  _ months _ ,” Leigh Anne spread her legs and touched the grass, “it was a couple of days before Haldir and his archers helped me.”

“Yes, I heard that part. The varglings have been making travel difficult these days.” Ceryl was twirling his dagger again.

“Can you not reach further than that human?” He eyed her stance.

“My bones don’t bend that way,  _ ellon _ ,” Leigh Anne retorted and Ceryl sniffed.

“Observe.” In a stretch similar to Leigh Anne’s she watched Ceryl almost flatten himself to the ground, his own lithe muscles seemed to elongate to accommodate his far reach. When he glanced up at Leigh Anne with an arrogant grin she was struck by the uncanny resemblance Ceryl had to a former student of hers.

It dawned on her in much the same way it had with Rumil that Ceryl was much younger than he appeared. Hadn’t Haldir claimed he was a new recruit? He definitely gave a different vibe than his other fellow wardens yesterday at the funeral.

“Yes, yes, I’m impressed.” Leigh Anne tested and Ceryl, looking as arrogant and cool as before, could not fully disguise the effect her careless praise had on him. He stood up, a fluid motion that made Leigh Anne’s human bones creak, and seemed quite pleased with himself.

Young and untried, Ceryl gestured for her to continue then proceeded to nitpick at her efforts.

It wasn’t until the sun was peeking through the higher mallorn branches that Ceryl deemed her loose enough.

“Let’s go for a run, I’ll lead.” And by lead Leigh Anne quickly learned meant ‘leap into the surrounding forest and vanish from sight’. She trotted after him pleased by the tightness of the bodice around her chest and happy enough to be exercising once more not to care much for where Ceryl went. As long as she didn’t pass through any major rivers she shouldn’t encounter any dangers - right?

“Is that really the fastest you can move?” he rejoined her slipping out of the woods like a snake back at her side. 

“No - but I’m pacing myself!” Leigh Anne breathed, Ceryl gave her an incredulous look.

“ _ This _ is pacing yourself?” 

“Would you like to just show me a marked trail to run around and I can meet you back at the yard in an hour?” Leigh Anne offered more for her than him, what would it be like to be alone in this place?

After a few more minutes of her agonizingly slow pace Ceryl did just that. The trail they were on was clear enough and close enough to Caras Galadhon’s leafy borders that Leigh Anne couldn’t possibly get lost.

“Believe it or not I am in moderately good shape,” Leigh Anne outright grinned at Ceryl as he gave her a questionable side glance before leaving her.

Then she was alone. She didn’t have Haldir, Triwathiel, Lorn, Galadriel or Schatzi with her. No walls, no civilization except the one a handful of feet away. Leigh Anne took a deep breath and looked ahead of her.

If she didn’t know better and the mallorn weren’t so golden she could fool herself into thinking that she was back home on a trail run. All she could hear from the rush of leaves striking her shirt, the fall of her feet clapping against the ground, her own breathing. Some emotion attempted to simmer to the surface, but Leigh Anne just ran harder until her breath ran ragged. 

This was the  _ point  _ she told herself, she clasped the moonstone in her hand so it didn’t bounce all over her chest.

Eventually her mind wandered to the serene space it sometimes went on a long run. The only difference between now and her last real run was she didn’t have earbuds in and her tunes were out with her phone dead.

The thought of not having her music sent a barb of homesickness in her that propelled her into a headlong sprint. Despite her best efforts a drizzle spotted her face.

_ No, no, NO! _ She mentally screamed as she dodged trees and managed uneven ground until finally a root caught her toe. 

Leigh Anne gasped and pulled her head down as she somesalted off the marked trail and missed a large tree out of her sheer luck. She rolled down a short hill until she landed on her back winded and startled. With a heave she gathered air into her lungs once more as she stared up at the mallorn.

_ I’ll get home won’t I?  _ She took a moment for herself in this pause in time. Her lungs ached worse than her legs and she recalled her promise to Haldir, one she felt like she was currently breaking lying akimbo on the ground from a hazardous run. Running her tongue over her teeth she thought solidly of Haldir a few minutes more. 

She saw him in Orophin last night in ways siblings held vestiges of one another in themselves. Leigh Anne didn’t know what a flustered or embarrassed Haldir looked like but Orophin showed her the same way Rumil revealed how unfettered enthusiasm and playfulness might appear on their eldest brother.

Their distinct relation made Leigh Anne think harder of their differences. When Haldir spoke to her yesterday before he left he had tilted his head in just a way she caught a brief outline of his brow and nose and mouth. Why this line of his silhouette stayed with her was a mystery but not in why she was thinking about him at all.

“Hm.” A seemingly useless noise yet it summed up the tumble of her feelings nicely. From her position her feet fidgeted and she liked the sound of brittle leaves and twigs crumbling beneath her heels. She made a face up at the trees and sky locked between a frown and deep thought.

She was running her thumb over the polished surface of her moonstone when she heard a horse.

Slowly she sat up pulling along a dozen browning leaves in her hair and clothes.

There it was again! A horse neighing! But where?

Leigh Anne’s head whipped around as she scrambled to stand up. There was no way it could be horse unless she was closer to a river than she thought. Haldir said horses couldn’t cross the Celebrant or the other one, unless they had a small herd of them on this side from summer crossings. It was possible, but Leigh Anne  _ recognized _ that neigh. 

Spinning around to locate the source of the neighing Leigh Anne stumbled a couple of times. Having gone from a fierce sprint to the ground had tightened her legs, subconsciously she thanked Ceryl for the thorough stretching. Carefully she picked her way back hoping by finding the marked trail she could quickly return to Ceryl and inquire about the whereabouts of horses when the neighing was getting louder.

When she found the trail she picked a direction and followed it. Leigh Anne hadn’t realized how much she had missed Schatzi until just now when the possibility of seeing him so soon after their parting might be realized. She took a sharp inhale of breath when the trail veered around a thick beech tree. Did she run around this before? She couldn’t remember. How lost had she been in her own brain-fog to miss that queenly tree?

It was several steps later that Leigh Anne realized she had made her way along a different trail than the one Ceryl picked out for her. Bracing herself she walked on.

Wherever the horse (or horses) were at they were getting closer, close enough (Leigh Anne realized) to be seen.

“Schatzi?” she called out. A silent pause then an answering neigh. Leigh Anne picked up pace.

The trail brought her to what might have been an old tunnel if not for the silver blossoms marking the dark entrance. Edging a little closer Leigh Anne could make out an alabaster arch embedded in the tunnel entrance marking an elf architect’s touch. Flowering ivy twisted its way around the arch and gave off a fragrant lavender-like scent. Feeling a little braver Leigh Anne called out and received no answer.

A horse neighed once more, it was definitely coming from this tunnel.

Had Galadriel and Celeborn warned her away from certain areas Leigh Anne would have been more wary, but even Haldir had encouraged her to roam to get her bearings and surely if there were any perils they would have warned her right? Why would they not? 

Once inside the arch the light outside dwindled and the inside positively glowed. There was a smooth stone floor inside that made Leigh Anne think of a hallway although it must have been worn with age. The walls were a mix of natural cragface and silver panelling. Along the rocky surfaces mushrooms gave off a cerulean biolumensecent light. Shelves were fashioned into the rock and displayed a number of crystal knick-knacks and an assortment of scrolls, inkpots and feathers. 

The neighing of a horse pulled Leigh Anne through the underground hallway as it billowed downward then evened out. The descent wasn’t steep enough to warrant stairs and Leigh Anne’s elven shoes kept a firm purchase of the ground.

“Schatzi?”  _ Oh, please let it be Schatzi although I don’t know how it could be him…  _ Leigh Anne saw the mushrooms’ light give way to a gentle caress of faroff sunlight.

She reached the end of the cave and and was met with a startling sight.

* * *

Miles and miles away Haldir was eyeing a pile of bones and frowning to himself. The days-old corpses of four varglings rotting away around him at the end of the trail he was following. The corpses were buzzing with flies and crawling with maggots, Haldir preferred not to look at them longer than necessary, but the burned bones looked familiar. 

Just before him was once a mighty oak tree but had recently been cleaved in half. Haldir could smell the charred bits of wood from where he stood, the sharp reek of ozone lying just underneath. 

He looks up at the sky.


End file.
